NRCC: Mulvaney now ‘on the radar’

The race for South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, which has been held by a Democrat for the past 27 years, has now caught the attention of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

On Wednesday, the NRCC officially announced that State Sen. Mick Mulvaney (R-Lancaster) was an ‘On the Radar’ candidate in his bid to unseat 14-term Democrat Congressman John Spratt.

“The NRCC is committed to working with Mick Mulvaney as he continues to meet the rigorous goals of the Young Guns program,” NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions said in a statement. “Mick Mulvaney is an accomplished leader for South Carolina, and he already has significant momentum behind his campaign. I am confident that he will be successful in his effort to defeat John Spratt, who is a career politician focused on Wall Street bailouts, a National Energy Tax and a government healthcare takeover, not job creation.”

The Young Guns program was created by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), and Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in 2007 to help elect a new generation of Republicans.

The NRCC said Mulvaney has already proven his ability to build a successful campaign structure and achieve important fundraising goals and now faces a new set of rigorous goals toward becoming a Young Gun, which will help him build a competitive, effective and winning campaign.

It was unclear what, exactly, those goals entail, but the State’s John O’Connor Tweeted that being “On the Radar” was the first of three steps in the Young Gun program.

Mulvaney announced his candidacy in October. Spratt confirmed that he would seek re-election two months later.