Lou Barletta (PA-11) Advances to 'On The Radar'

The NRCC has named Hazleton, Pennsylvania Mayor Lou Barletta as an ‘On the Radar’ candidate in his bid to defeat Rep. Paul Kanjorski (PA-11) in 2010 elections.

The Young Guns program is designed to assist Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives achieve goals and benchmarks throughout the election cycle focused on the fundamentals of a winning campaign. By achieving ‘On the Radar’ status, Barletta has already proven his ability to build a successful campaign structure and achieve important fundraising goals.

Lou has served Pennsylvanians’ as mayor of Hazleton for over a decade. First elected mayor in 1998, Barletta inherited a massive budget shortfall and was able to revitalize the city of Hazleton economically with tough but prudent financial decisions that earned statewide praise.

The signs of the changing political environment that Democrats will have to face next year have helped Barletta build momentum and have made this race even more competitive. While already achieving certain benchmarks to place him on the road to victory, Lou Barletta now faces a new set of rigorous benchmarks that will help him advance to the next level of the Young Guns program and help him build a competitive, effective and winning campaign.

“The NRCC is committed to working with Lou Barletta as he continues to meet the rigorous goals of the Young Guns program,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions. “Lou Barletta is an accomplished leader for Northeastern Pennsylvania, and he already has significant momentum behind his campaign.  I am confident that he will be successful in his effort to defeat Paul Kanjorski, who is a career politician focused on Wall Street bailouts, not job creation.”

Click here to learn more about Lou.

Find additional information on the NRCC’s Young Guns Program here.