House GOP highlights 16 ‘On the Radar’ candidates

The House GOP’s campaign arm released a second round of “On the Radar” candidates on Monday, as Republicans look to highlight promising candidates ahead of the 2018 midterms.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) named 16 more candidates to the first phase of the committee’s “Young Guns” program, which were provided first to The Hill.

Those candidates join 30 others named in October who fulfilled certain requirements regarding their campaign organization.

Republicans are eyeing a number of pick-up opportunities in seats held or being vacated by Democratic incumbents, but they’re mostly on defense as Democrats seek to flip 24 seats to take back the House.

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“We’re excited to announce another round of impressive candidates who’ve put themselves in position to be successful in 2018,” NRCC chairman Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) said in a statement. “House Democrats have tried to obstruct our agenda at every turn and our Republican challengers are ready to hold them accountable.”

The campaign committee’s selection of “On the Radar” candidates are not endorsements and some races have multiple GOP challengers named to the program.

The second round features GOP challengers in some of the cycle’s most competitive races, which include: Tiffany Shedd, who’s challenging Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.); John McCann, who’s challenging Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.); Lea Marquez Peterson, who’s running to replace Senate hopeful Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.); Carla Nelson, who’s running to succeed outgoing Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.); Steve Watkins, who’s running to succeed Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.); Mike Pries, who’s running to replace retiring Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.); and Rocky Raczkowski and Klint Kesto, who are both running to replace Rep. David Trott (R-Mich.).

In the 2016 election, President Trump carried both O’Halleran and Gottheimer’s districts by 1 point, while more easily winning Dent and Trott’s seats. He cruised to victory in Walz and Jenkins’s districts with double-digit margins. But Trump lost McSally’s district by nearly 5 points.

The NRCC also highlighted a number of GOP challengers running in safer Democratic seats including: Kimberlin Brown, who is running against Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.); Michael Allman, who’s running against Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.); Peter Tedeschi, who’s challenging Rep. Bill Keating (D-Mass.); Candius Stearns, who’s running to succeed retiring Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.); Dan DeBono, who’s running against Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.); and Jim Maxwell, who’s challenging Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.).

And the committee propped up GOP contenders in seats that the party is expected to hold, which include Christina Hagan, who’s running to replace Senate hopeful Rep. Jim Renacci (R-Ohio); and Andrew Lewis, who’s running to succeed Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.).

Updated at 9:48 a.m.