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WASHINGTON –At least a dozen new Jewish candidates running for the House of Representatives, nearly all of them Democrats, could get elected on Tuesday, significantly boosting the Jewish presence in Congress.

The 106th Congress had 23 Jewish representatives and 11 Jewish senators.

Jewish pundits watch certain congressional races more closely than others, and it's not simply because one of the candidates may be Jewish. Sometimes a particular candidate's positions either turn on or turn off Jewish sensibilities. And close races can determine which party will control Congress.

Among the key Senate races being monitored by Jewish political junkies:

*The New York race features Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Democrat running against Rick Lazio, a Republican.The race is clikely to stay close until Election Day. Analysts say the Jewish vote, which constitutes about 10 percent of the electorate, could be a major factor in the outcome.

*The Michigan race pits incumbent Spencer Abraham, a Republican, against Debbie Stabenow, the Democrat. Abraham, the sole Arab-American senator, was one of only two senators not to sign on to a recent letter to President Clinton condemning Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for failing to stop the violence. Abraham has run what some call a lackluster campaign while Stabenow, a two-term U.S. representative, is gaining voters with her support for a patient's bill of rights and lower prescription drug prices. Michigan, a swing state, has more than 100,000 Jews and more than 300,000 Arab-Americans.

*In Nevada, an open Democratic seat is being contested by Ed Bernstein, a Democrat, and Republican John Ensign..Bernstein, a well-known trial attorney, was down more than 30 points but recently pulled within four points of his opponent. Bernstein, a liberal raised in a lower-middle-class Jewish family, is attacking Ensign's pro-life stance, but Nevada is a conservative state, so how that strategy will play out remains to be seen.

*In New Jersey, Jon Corzine, a Democrat, is competing against Bob Franks, a Republican, for the seat of Frank Lautenberg, a Jewish Democrat who is retiring. Franks recently introduced a resolution admonishing the United States for not voting against the U.N. resolution that condemned Israel for the recent violence in the Middle East.

In the House of Representatives, there are a number of key races to watch:

*In Florida's 22nd District, incumbent Republican Clay Shaw is trying to stave off a challenge from Elaine Bloom, a Jewish Democrat. Shaw, a 20-year incumbent, is known for his work on welfare reform, and he chairs the Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security. Bloom, a Jewish grandmother, might appeal to the more than 100,000 Jews in the south Florida district. She charges Shaw voted to cut education spending and Medicare funding.

*In Virginia's 7th District, Eric Cantor, a Jewish Republican, is heavily favored to beat Warren Stewart, a Democrat, to take over the seat of 10-term retiring Republican Rep. Thomas Bliley Jr. Cantor, a real estate executive, would become the second Jewish Republican in the House. (The other is veteran New York lawmaker Benjamin Gilman.) Running against the conservative GOP candidate is the liberal Stewart, who is pushing gun control and a patient's bill of rights, among other hot-button issues.

*In Colorado's 6th District, Ken Toltz, a Jewish Democrat, is vying against Republican incumbent Tom Tancredo.

Toltz, a businessman, is considered the underdog, but Tancredo's conservatism may give him problems as gun control has become a major issue in this campaign. The district includes the town of Columbine, the scene of last year's school massacre that left 15 dead.

*In New Jersey's 3rd District, Susan Bass Levin, a Jewish Democrat, is running against Jim Saxton, a 16-year Republican incumbent. Levin, the popular Jewish mayor of Cherry Hill, is running an effective campaign, say observers, and might succeed in getting the support of the district's some 30,000 Jews.