National GOP tags Crawford ‘young gun’

— Rick Crawford is the second Arkansas Republican congressional candidate to be anointed a “young gun” by the national party, GOP officials said Tuesday.

Crawford, running in the 1st Congressional District, joined fellow Republican Tim Griffin as one of 39 hopefuls identified as strong candidates by the Republican National Congressional Committee.

Griffin, running in the 2nd Congressional District, was dubbed a young gun earlier this year.

Their opponents, Joyce Elliott in the 2nd District and Chad Causey in the 1st District, have been targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as two of the 26 nationwide participants in the “Red to Blue” program.

Both parties hope the designations will open up the fundraising spigots and focus media attention on their candidates in the two contested races for the House of Representatives seats. It’s the first such open seats since 1996.

Marion Berry’s retirement set politics in motion in east Arkansas’ 1st District, which has been represented by Democrats since Reconstruction. Vic Snyder’s retirement in the 2nd District, in central Arkansas, also set off a frenzied competition. Berry and Snyder announced their retirements earlier this year.

Causey has demonstrated his fundraising capability and has ties to district leaders from his decade-long work with Berry, ending as Berry’s chief of staff, observers say.

Tuesday’s designation for Crawford, a Jonesboro agricultural broadcaster, indicates that party leaders have awakened to the fact that they need someone with a “resume that embodies the district” if they want to beat Causey, said Jonah Shumate, Crawford’s campaign manager.

“Rick is reflective of the 1st District,” Shumate said.

The young guns program identifies candidates who have demonstrated fundraising prowess and organizational strength, said Andy Sere, spokesman for the Republican National Congressional Committee.

In 2008, the committee spent about $25 million to support its leading congressional candidates, he said.

“With 39 young guns, that’s the exact amount of seats we need to win Congress. It’s a pretty top-tier group,” Sere said.

The Democrats’ Red to Blue program has similar goals, identifying strong party candidates to hold on to or capture House seats.

“Like Arkansas voters on June 8, the national campaign committee determined that both [state] Sen. Elliott and Chad Causey are winning candidates for November, and we’ll provide resources to help them win in November. They’re dedicated, hardworking public servants who have worked years for Arkansas,” said Mariah Hatta, executive director for the state Democratic Party.

Arkansas, Pages 10 on 06/30/2010

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