The National Republican Congressional Committee has its eye on Tony Strickland.

That group, the political arm of the Republican House majority, is announcing today that Strickland, the state senator from Moorpark, has been placed on its "on the radar" list of up-and-coming congressional candidates. Strickland is running in the new, open 26th Congressional District in Ventura County. Today's designation places Strickland one step away from the NRCC's "Young Guns" category, the top designation given to those challengers in open seats nationwide that the group believes to have the most potential. To attain the designation, Strickland must meet party-established benchmarks for fundraising and campaign organization.

"We are looking forward to working with Tony Strickland, who has already proven himself by meeting rigorous benchmarks in the 'Young Guns' program that will position his campaign for victory," said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions of Texas, in a statement released today.

Meanwhile, the other Republican in the race, Akiva Werbalowsky of Ojai, has scheduled an announcement press conference for tomorrow at the County Government Center in Ventura. In his press release on the event, the unconventional Werbalowsky acknowledges that he is "new to this announcement-dissemination world" and asks for help in spreading the word. And he promises it will be a little different from traditional political press conferences. "I'll have a short press conference and then whomever wants can walk with me to a tavern for straight talk, cervesa, soft drinks, and more," he writes.

And in congressional news from up the coast in La Conchita, Santa Barbara and beyond, Democratic Congressman Lois Capps is taking pains to point out that tea party supporters will still have a candidate in the June primary, even after Sunday's announcement by Tom Watson that he will not run.

Watson has endorsed Chris Mitchum, another tea party supporter. Mitchum, the son of the late actor Robert Mitchum, was the GOP nominee for Assembly in 1998 in the district that included Santa Barbara and western Ventura County.