House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) added 17 candidates on Monday to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) “Young Guns” program to promote and field candidates to run for the House.

“These candidates are instrumental in helping Republicans reclaim the House majority,” McCarthy said in a statement on Monday. “With their continued hard work and dedication, Republicans will be one step closer to sending the socialist Democrats packing in November.”

The NRCC’s Young Guns program requires candidates to work towards specific benchmarks and serves as a vote of confidence that the candidates are running “competitive, well-funded” campaigns.

The NRCC added former Donald Trump administration officials Matt Mowers and Jim Bognet. Mowers hopes to unseat Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) in New Hampshire’s First Congressional District, and Bognet hopes to defeat Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) in Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District.

Bognet said in a statement on Monday:

More and more people are starting to recognize the growing momentum we’ve seen on the ground here in PA-8 each day. Over the next five weeks, I will make the case to Northeastern Pennsylvania voters that I am the candidate best equipped to go to Congress as a firm ally of President Trump who will help him finish the wall and make China pay. Our campaign will show voters the differences between me and others in the field who have been exposed as Never Trumpers and Hillary Clinton supporters.
The NRCC also added Derrick Van Orden for Wisconsin’s Third District to unseat Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) as well as Florida state Rep. Byron Donalds to replace the outgoing Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL).
The GOP group also added former Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA) to defeat freshman Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) and Virginia state delegate Nick Freitas to defeat freshman Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA).

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.