Though he's almost a month away from taking office, Rep.-elect Timothy Bishop was already out stumping this week, working to keep the job he just won.

The bearded Bishop appeared Tuesday night at the Third Party Club in Sayville to reach out to Frank MacKay, the chairman of the Independence Party, which didn't back him in November's election. He also thanked Working Families Party county leader Chuck Pohenka, whose ballot line gave him a little more than his narrow 2,700-vote margin of victory over Rep. Felix Grucci (R-East Patchogue).

"Any time you win by 2,700 votes, you realize everything matters," said Bishop, 52, a former Southampton College provost.

But as soon as Bishop finished speaking, Republican Suffolk County Clerk Edward Romaine got up, sounding more like a federal candidate than a keeper of county records.

Romaine reeled off proposals for limiting contributions by political action committees, granting a payroll tax deduction and creating a process to let voters put issues on the ballot by petition. "Politics is about ideas," said Romaine, who twice has lost close races for Congress. "Because ideas move people."

It may be 23 months early, but welcome to Campaign 2004.

"Clearly there's already a buzz," said Anthony Apollaro, Suffolk Republican chairman.

Even Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) who just won his first re-election, cautioned: "I think it's safe to say every time Tim walks onto the floor of the House [of Representatives], there's going to be a target on his back."

Republicans are still wincing over Bishop's mammoth upset over Grucci, who threw away a seemingly safe Republican seat with an ad on rape that backfired.

GOP officials believe the district, where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats 158,000 to 102,000, should be theirs, especially because the GOP has dominated its largest town, Brookhaven, for nearly a quarter century.

"He starts out the underdog," Brookhaven Republican chairman Thomas M. Neppell said of Bishop, whose views, according to Neppell, are far too liberal for his constituents.

"They are stunned they lost the race and they are gunning for him," said Richard Schaffer, Suffolk Democratic chairman. Bishop must always remember, "He didn't win, it was Grucci who lost," Schaffer said.

Though no one is declaring their candidacy just yet, Neppell said there are "some very fine people" in Republican ranks who could take back the seat. And "sitting on top of the list is the very formidable supervisor from Brookhaven," John Jay LaValle, Neppell said.

Other contenders being mentioned include Romaine, who just won re-election with 70 percent of the vote; Assemb. Patricia Acampora (R-Mattituck), a nine-year Albany veteran; and Assemb. Fred Thiele (R-Sag Harbor). All are proven vote getters.

Bishop, however, said he doesn't mind being seen as facing an uphill fight. "I was 21 points down on Aug. 5; I don't mind being the underdog."

He also rejected the idea that he is too liberal for the district. "I want to focus on issues that go beyond party," Bishop said. "I want to focus on the environment. I want to invest in kids and their education and to help senior citizens meet their needs."

However, some Republican insiders say Bishop's true colors will show when he has to start voting on bills. "The guy skated on issues through the whole campaign," said one GOP official who asked not to be identified. "That's not going to happen again."

Republican officials also said that when Bishop runs next time, he will have to overcome a GOP turnout driven by the popularity of President George W. Bush, who is expected to top the ticket. They also maintain that Bishop, as a member of the House minority, will have a hard time delivering for his district.

Bishop also owes $200,000 in campaign debt after raising nearly $1 million in the contest.

Israel said there is no magic formula for winning re-election other than using common sense. "You show up when invited, make friends instead of enemies and don't be too far to the left or right," he said.

MacKay, who backed Grucci, largely because of his vote for campaign finance reform, said he was pleased by Bishop's efforts to reach out. "He's a very impressive guy," MacKay said. "I like the way he is soaking everything in."

Bishop has not only reached out to party leaders but to local officials as well. He has already met with four of the seven town supervisors in his district - even LaValle, a potential rival. He also said he plans to put a major emphasis on constituent service.

Amy Walter, an editor with Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan newsletter in Washington, D.C., said she expected the contest in 2004 to draw intense scrutiny because the heads of both parties' campaign committees, Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey of Westchester and Republican Rep. Thomas Reynolds of Erie, are both New Yorkers.

"The only thing that makes it less enticing is the expense," she said, referring to the costly metropolitan TV market. "This year both sides spent a million dollars in the final week because it was a sprint. Next time, it's going to be a marathon."