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NRCC Names 18 Likely New Members to Young Guns ‘Vanguards’ Program

All except one are running in races rated Solid Republican

Indiana state Rep. Jim Baird, the GOP nominee in the 4th District, has been named to the NRCC’s Young Guns “Vanguards” program. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Indiana state Rep. Jim Baird, the GOP nominee in the 4th District, has been named to the NRCC’s Young Guns “Vanguards” program. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The National Republican Congressional Committee on Tuesday named the first members of its Young Guns “Vanguards” program for GOP candidates likely heading to Congress next year. 

Young Guns is the committee’s program to boost House candidates in competitive general election races. But there’s also a Vanguards program for those Republicans in mostly open-seat races who are favored to win in November. The NRCC first launched the program in 2010 to connect these likely new House members to the committee and GOP lawmakers.

The 18 Republicans added to this cycle’s program have already won their primaries, and all but one are running in races that Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates Solid Republican. The exception is Chip Roy, the GOP nominee for Texas’ 21st District, where the race is rated Likely Republican.

The Vanguards program also includes the newest member of Congress — Michael Cloud, who was sworn in Tuesday after winning last month’s special election in Texas’ 27th District. He will be seeking a full term in November.

Another addition is Katie Arrington, who defeated incumbent South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford in the primary last month.

The full list of candidates added to the Vanguards program is as follows.

  • Russ Fulcher (ID-01)
  • Jim Baird (IN-04)
  • Greg Pence (IN-06)
  • Michael Guest (MS-03)
  • Kelly Armstrong (ND-AL)
  • Dan Meuser (PA-09)
  • John Joyce (PA-13)
  • Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14)
  • Katie Arrington (SC-01)
  • William Timmons (SC-04)
  • Dusty Johnson (SD-AL)
  • Dan Crenshaw (TX-02)
  • Van Taylor (TX-03)
  • Lance Gooden (TX-05)
  • Ron Wright (TX-06)
  • Chip Roy (TX-21)
  • Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27)
  • Ben Cline (VA-06)

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