NRCC adds nine new ‘Young Guns’

The National Republican Congressional Committee has added nine more Republicans to its list of top candidates — including two who haven’t yet been named.

{mosads}The NRCC’s “Young Guns” program is a designation for Republican candidates who “have met a series of rigorous goals that will put them in position to win on Election Day,” NRCC Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) says in a release.

The new additions include a mix of GOP candidates contesting competitive seats and nominees expected to easily win their races to succeed retiring Republicans in safe seats this fall.

New additions include Andy Tobin, the newly minted GOP nominee to take on Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.); Wendy Rogers, who was just nominated to face Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.); former Rep. Charles Djou, running for Rep. Colleen Hanabusa’s (D-Hawaii) seat; Bruce Poliquin, the GOP nominee for Rep. Mike Michaud’s (D-Maine) seat; John Moolenaar, the likely successor to retiring Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.); Mike Bishop, the GOP nominee for retiring Rep. Mike Rogers’s (R-Mich.) seat; and Glenn Grothman, likely to succeed retiring Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.) this fall.

And the NRCC appears satisfied with whoever makes it out of Tuesday’s Republican primaries in both of New Hampshire’s congressional districts. The new list of Young Guns candidates includes the “Republican Nominee” in New Hampshire’s 1st and 2nd districts, both of which have contested Republican primaries.

In New Hampshire’s 1st District, former Rep. Frank Guinta (R) is expected to easily win his party’s nomination over three other Republicans for a rematch against Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D) this fall. The GOP contest in the 2nd District is much tighter, though most political observers expect state Rep. Marilinda Garcia to pull out a win over former state Sen. Gary Lambert to take on Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D). An NRCC spokesman said all of the candidates had reached the necessary benchmarks to achieve Young Guns status.

There are now 43 Republican candidates on the list, many of whom are contesting top-targeted districts, as the GOP seeks to expand its 17-seat majority in the House this fall.