Back when Hugh Hewitt was in town a few weeks back, I was asked to predict the biggest surprise in Minnesota this fall.

My response – while I thought an Emmer win might surprise some people, I thought the best potential was for Randy Demmer to upset Tim Walz.

Finally, the National Republican Congressional Committee agrees:

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced Thursday that they were elevating Walz’s challenger, Republican Randy Demmer, to their “Young Guns” list. For Demmer, it means the national party will provide him with additional support during the final stretch of the campaign.

Young Gun status will put Demmer on the map in GOP fundraising circles, which could be a crucial factor to overcoming his significant cash disadvantage.

It’d be great to win that district back.

The Cook Political Report rates Walz’s district as having an R+1 partisan voting index, but trending “likely Democratic” this fall.

“Randy Demmer has proven that he’s ready to take on incumbent Tim Walz, an out-of-touch Democrat who has blindly supported his party’s failed agenda of job-killing policies and reckless spending,” NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions, R-TX, said in a statement.

Look for a Minnesota Poll shortly showing Walz with a 20 point lead…