June 8th, 2012, By Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter | The Orange County Register - 

Fresh off a strong second-place finish in Tuesday’s 47th Congressional District primary, Long Beach City Councilman Gary DeLong today was elevated to the top tier of “Young Guns” candidates by the National Republican Congressional Committee, one of 10 such contenders nationwide.

DeLong still faces an uphill battle against the top finisher, state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, for the open seat in the district, which extends from Long Beach to Little Saigon. That’s because Democrats have a 43 percent to 32 percent advantage over Republicans in the district’s voter registration.

“Gary DeLong has met a series of rigorous goals that will put him in position to win on Election Day,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas, in a news release.

Lowenthal finished with 33.7 percent of the vote and DeLong received 29.3 percent, considerably closer than the party registration. Additionally, in the primary field of four Republicans and four Democrats, the GOP candidates received 50.8 percent of the vote.

But the election featured record-low turnout and such primaries typically find Republicans representing a disproportionate share of those casting ballots, while Democrats are more likely to vote in general elections than in primaries.

Helping DeLong’s standing is his strong fundraising. Through reporting period ending March 31, the Republican had raised $572,000, while Lowenthal had brought in $378,000. If DeLong continues to run competitively as Election Day approaches, look for the NRCC – and its Democratic counterpart – to add their muscle and money to the contest.