With that in mind, Red Alert Politics has put together a short list of Congressional hopefuls that you should keep an eye out for in the next few months. All nine of the candidates listed below were officially named Friday as candidates “On the Radar” of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Being “On the Radar” means that the candidates are officially on track to be inducted into the committee’s “Young Guns” program, which helps with fundraising and other operational needs.

Several of the candidates listed below are former members of Congress running for the seats they lost in 2012 – Reps. Bob Dold and Bobby Schilling of Illinois, Rep. Frank Guinta of New Hampshire and Rep. Nan Hayworth of New York. A fifth, Rep. Doug Ose of California, has also previously served in Congress.

Bob Dold (IL-10)

Dold is one of several former Representatives running for their old seat in Washington. First elected to replace now-Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) in 2010, Dold was the victim of gerrymandering, losing his first re-election bid in 2012 to Democratic candidate Brad Schneider. The race is likely to be a competitive one, with the Cook Political Report labeling it as a toss-up. Before running for office in 2010, Dold owned a small business in Illinois.

Frank Guinta (NH-01)

Frank Guinta is also looking to take back his old Congressional seat in the Granite State in his third rematch with Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter for the seat. Guinta, then the mayor of Manchester, won his lone term in office in 2010. This is expected to be one of the hottest and closely watched rematches in the country, with Cook considering the race a pure toss-up.

Nan Hayworth (NY-18)

Hayworth, an upstate New York physician, first ran for Congress in 2010 and lost her seat to former Clinton White House staff secretary Sean Patrick Maloney in 2012 as a result of redistricting. Cook Political Report rates the district as Leans Democratic.

Evan Jenkins (WV-03)

Jenkins is an interesting case, especially for the NRCC to include in its first batch of “On the Radar” candidates, considering up until a few months ago the West Virginia state senator was a registered Democrat. Jenkins, upset with the president and his Affordable Care Act, chose to switch to the GOP to challenge longtime Democratic incumbent Rep. Nick Rahall. The race is considered to be a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.

Mia Love (UT-04)

Love, who first attracted national attention during her first race for Congress in 2012, is running against to unseat incumbent Democrat Jim Matheson in November. The current Mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, Love is a 37-year-old mother of three who if elected would become the first Haitian American and first black Republican Congresswoman in office. The Cook Political Report ranks the seat as Leans Democratic.

Martha McSally (AZ-02)

Retired Air Force Colonel Martha McSally was the first woman to fly in combat after the government lifted its ban in 1991, and now has her sights set on becoming the next Congresswoman for Arizona’s 2nd District. McSally ran for the seat in 2012 against incumbent Democrat Ron Barber, a former aide to then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who was shot and wounded during her 2011 assassination attempt in Tucson, Ariz., losing by a mere 2,500 votes on Election Day. The Cook Political Report has this race listed as a toss-up.

Doug Ose (CA-07)

California Republican Doug Ose is looking to return to Washington, D.C. after fulfilling a self-imposed three-term limit in 2005. He ran in the Republican primaries for Senate in 2004 and Congress in 2008, but was unsuccessful in both races. Ose is looking to defeat freshman Democrat Rep. Ami Bera in California’s 7th district, which comprises much of his old district. Both of Ose’s primary challengers, Elizabeth Emken and Igor Birman, have also been promoted by the NRCC to “On the Radar” status.

David Rouzer (NC-07)

Rouzer, who previously served in the North Carolina State Senate and General Assembly, ran for Congress against longtime Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre in 2012, losing by a mere 655 votes. Rouzer is also a small business owner and was previously an assistant to the Dean at the NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Bobby Schilling (IL-07)

Illinois Rep. Bobby Schilling was another victim of Democratic gerrymandering in 2012. First elected in 2010, Schilling lost by six points to now-Congresswoman Cheri Bustos in 2012. Before serving in Congress, Schilling owned a pizza shop and worked in insurance. The seat is rated Leans Democratic by the Cook Political Report.

Richard Tisei (MA-06)

Tisei is a career politician, serving in the Massachusetts State Legislature for 26 years and reaching the post of Minority Leader of the State Senate. He plans on running again against Democratic Rep. John Tierney, whom he lost to in 2012 by just 3,500 votes. Tisei, who also ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2010, is openly gay and would be the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress who had come out before election day. The seat is considered Leans Democratic by the Cook Political Report.

This piece has been updated.