House Republicans expand ‘Young Guns’ program to boost candidates in competitive districts

EXCLUSIVE — House Republicans' main fundraising arm is adding four candidates running in competitive districts to its "Young Guns" program as the final sprint to Election Day begins next week.

The expansion to the National Republican Congressional Committee 's program, which is designed to provide mentors and financial resources throughout the election cycle, comes as the party seeks to expand its slim majority next year.

The candidates being added include Nick Begich, who is challenging Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) for Alaska's at-large seat; Paul Junge, who is challenging Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) in Michigan's 8th Congressional District; Mike Erickson, who is challenging Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR) in Oregon's 6th District; and Joe Kent, who is challenging Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (D-WA) in Washington's 3rd District.

"Extreme House Democrats will all be rubber stamps for San Francisco liberal Kamala Harris' dangerous far-left agenda if elected this November," NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson (R-NC) said in a statement first obtained by the Washington Examiner. "Our Young Gun candidates are building winning campaigns that will help grow Republicans' House majority and ensure the Harris-Biden administration's destruction of the American dream is reversed."

The NRCC announced its initial cohort in the Young Guns program in July, making the fundraising arm's additions the first time the group has been expanded since Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination.

The Young Guns program seeks to keep vulnerable Democrats on edge as they challenge their seats by requiring candidates to attain certain benchmarks and meet goals throughout the election cycle. That way, the group said, their campaigns will "remain competitive, well-funded and communicative within their district."

The induction of the four candidates brings the group's total number to 30, which is on par with Democrats' similar fundraising program seeking to flip red seats in competitive districts into Democratic control. That group, the "Red to Blue" program, expanded its cohort to 30 candidates earlier this month.

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Of the 435 seats up for grabs in November, 42 are considered competitive. Most of those are held by Democrats, which gives the GOP a slight advantage as it heads into the final two months of the election cycle.

But of the 42 competitive seats, 17 are held by Republicans in districts that voted for President Joe Biden in 2020, compared to just five Democrats who must defend their seats in districts carried by former President Donald Trump. That means there are just enough vulnerable GOP-held seats to keep things competitive heading into November.