GOPers Promote 28 Candidates

National Journal, 2/9/10

The NRCC has promoted 28 of their best-performing candidates to new levels of the party's "Young Guns" program for promising challengers. A total of 15 candidates have reached "contender" status and another 13 are now "on the radar," the third tier of official recognition.

Broadening the program is a recognition by GOPers that the national playing field is going to be significant. The NRCC is recognizing challengers to entrenched incumbents like Reps. Tim Bishop (D-NY), David Wu (D-OR), Ike Skelton (D-MO) and Russ Carnahan (D-MO).

Meanwhile, freshmen Dems like Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ), Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Debbie Halvorson (D-IL) all have challengers in the NRCC's Young Guns program.

GOPers still face competitive primaries in a number of districts, and inclusion on the list of Young Guns does not denote an endorsement. 2 candidates running against Skelton are on the list of "contenders," while Bishop faces the winner of a primary between a contender and one on-the-radar candidate.

Still, not all primaries are bad things. The NRCC promoted 2 IL candidates -- state Sen. Randy Hultgren (R) and ex-McLean Co. Commis. Adam Kinzinger (R) -- after they won competitive primaries last week.

For a complete list of candidates promoted to upper tiers, continue through the jump.

Candidates promoted through the Young Guns program by the NRCC:

Contenders
Candidate           District   Dem Incumbent
Randy Altschuler    NY 01      Rep. Tim Bishop
Jon Barela          NM 01      Rep. Martin Heinrich
Rob Cornilles       OR 01      Rep. David Wu
Charles Djou        HO 01      Open seat
Robert Dold         IL 10      Open seat
Sean Duffy          WI 07      Rep. David Obey
Keith Fimian        VA 11      Rep. Gerry Connolly
Ryan Frazier        CO 07      Rep. Ed Perlmutter
Vicky Hartzler      MO 04      Rep. Ike Skelton
Randy Hultgren      IL 14      Rep. Bill Foster
Adam Kinzinger      IL 11      Rep. Debbie Halvorson
Ed Martin           MO 03      Rep. Russ Carnahan
Scott Rigell        VA 02      Rep. Glenn Nye
Bill Stouffer       MO 04      Rep. Ike Skelton
Tim Walberg         MI 07      Rep. Mark Schauer


On The Radar
Candidate           District   Dem Incumbent
Scott Bruun         OR 05      Rep. Kurt Schrader
Larry Bucshon       IN 08      Rep. Brad Ellsworth
Francisco Canseco   TX 23      Rep. Ciro Rodriguez
Blake Curd          SD AL      Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
Mike Fitzpatrick    PA 08      Rep. Patrick Murphy
Jim Gibbons         IA 03      Rep. Leonard Boswell
Paul Gosar          AZ 01      Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick
Joe Heck            NV 03      Rep. Dina Titus
Mike Keown          GA 02      Rep. Sanford Bishop
David McKinley      WV 01      Rep. Alan Mollohan
Brian Rooney        MI 07      Rep. Mark Schauer
Scott Tipton        CO 03      Rep. John Salazar
Jackie Walorski     IN 02      Rep. Joe Donnelly