Sessions Pursuing "Broad Brush" Approach

NRCC chair Pete Sessions (R-TX) wants to take advantage of what GOPers see as an historic opportunity next year, meaning his committee is aiming to recruit candidates in every district in the country.

"We think a broad brush approach is really going to result because of the environment that's out there," Sessions said in an interview. "We want to have 435 Congressional districts where Republicans are playing in."

Already, the NRCC is touting the prospects of 65 strong recruits, 51 of whom have more than $100K in the bank so far. By contrast, Sessions said, two-thirds of the GOPers who won seats in 1994 had not entered the race by the previous year's governors races, putting the NRCC ahead of that year's pace.

And Sessions is aiming for many of the same non-traditional types of candidates as found success 15 years ago, when many of the first-term members of Congress had not held political office before. This year, more than 150 candidates who have never run for office are running for Congress as GOPers.

Still, running for the first time can be a daunting task, and candidates often find themselves overwhelmed. Some of the candidates GOPers are touting now may meet minimum thresholds for credibility but stand little chance of being elected next year, either because of primary competition or the Dem nature of their seats.

But for those who pass the credibility test, Sessions says, the NRCC's "Young Guns" program -- the party's answer to the DCCC's Red-to-Blue program -- is there to help them get over hurdles they might otherwise face. Through Young Guns, the NRCC will aid candidates by providing benchmarks and campaign help.

"We have spent a lot of time to take every one of our candidates and have them go [from] what we consider to be good, to great," Sessions said. "They work harder, we pay attention. You go do the work, I'll match your challenge. If you get out there and do it, I'll be there to help."

The NRCC has touted their recruiting successes over recent weeks -- especially as unknown candidates jump into races around the country -- as evidence that the tide is finally turning their way. Both Sessions and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who is in charge of NRCC recruiting, have taken road trips to several states to recruit candidates, finding a few along the way who have captured their attention.

Sessions and McCarthy are particularly enamored of Steve Fincher (R), a gospel singer and farmer who got off to a rapid fundraising start after he decided to challenge Rep. John Tanner (D-TN). It is those types of candidates, who come to a race with enthusiasm and the ability to raise money necessary to compete with entrenched incumbents, that make the NRCC optimistic about the '10 midterms.

"It's an advantage to find somebody like a Steve Fincher," Sessions said. "These are going to be the names of people who I think become breakthrough candidates. Once again, it's not following what you traditionally say, 'Well, I don't know who they are, so they can't become a top-tier candidate.' They become a top-tier candidate through performance [indicies]."

But Sessions admitted the process has not always been perfect. Local leaders chose a state assemblywoman in NY's 23rd District, a decision Sessions and the DC GOP establishment later came to regret.

"If I could have influenced who that person would be, I think that they would look more like somebody who would be for all of our agenda items," Sessions said.

The ensuing bedlam, during which several potential GOP presidential candidates shunned their own party's nominee, handed Rep. Bill Owens (D) a seat in Congress. Going forward, "I would encourage us not to have a fist fight back somewhere that broke out into a national media campaign," Sessions cautioned.

UPDATED: A Friend of OnCall points out that the NRCC has already missed its opportunities to field candidates in all 435 races. The filing deadline in IL has passed, and Reps. Bobby Rush (D) and Luis Gutierrez (D) do not have any GOP opponents.

(REID WILSON)