What a difference two years make . Instead of a band of rabble-rousing conservatives , a markedly different group was plotting campaign strategy with House Republican leaders at a recent party headquarters meeting . Gone is the tea party-infused talk of confrontation . This diverse group -- top-tier candidates picked to be in the GOP 's `` Young Guns '' program -- includes an openly gay former Massachusetts state legislator , an African-American female mayor from Utah and an Indian-American Ivy league graduate from California . Unlike the take-no-prisoners approach of two years ago , these candidates stressed the need to work with Democrats to get things done in Washington . Richard Tisei , who was one of the few Republicans in the Democratic-dominated Massachusetts Senate , said that voters are frustrated with a polarized Congress and that he has a record of getting things done . `` I can bring my experience , having served in the Legislature on , you know , a state level , down here and hopefully bring some common sense and willingness to work across the aisle , '' Tisei told CNN . If Tisei beats eight-term Democratic Rep John Tierney in November , he would be the first House Republican to say he 's gay while running for a first term in office . He supports same-sex marriage and signed onto a legal challenge to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act , a law GOP leaders are fighting to uphold in the federal courts . `` I am a live-and-let-live Republican . I think the government , again , should get off your back , out of your wallet and away from the bedroom , '' Tisei said . Further proof that he does n't fit the traditional GOP candidate mold -- Tisei refuses to sign a pledge that he will not raise taxes . `` If there are loopholes that could be closed , help pay down the deficit , I do n't want to tie myself up in knots . I want the option of being able to do what needs to be done to help the country , '' he said . The Young Guns program Tisei recently joined was started in 2007 by three Republican rising stars -- Reps. Eric Cantor of Virginia , Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Kevin McCarthy of California . The three were concerned their party was n't doing enough to grow its base and recruit candidates in districts where the GOP lost in 2006 . The program grew to support 90 candidates in 2009 and became part of the National Republican Congressional Commitee . Those selected for the program received financial and political support from the national party , and 62 of them won in 2010 , helping to return the House gavel back to the GOP . Democrats have a similar program they call `` Red to Blue . '' McCarthy , who led GOP recruiting two years ago , which included outreach to females and minorities , told CNN `` the caliber of the candidates has only improved higher because of the success of the last one . '' The third-ranking House Republican said he thinks leaders will pick 30 to 40 Young Guns by this fall . Fitting the `` young '' part of the bill is Indian-American Ricky Gill , 25 , who hopes he 'll become the youngest member of Congress next year . A Princeton University graduate who has endorsements from popular Republican Govs . Chris Christie of New Jersey and Nikki Haley of South Carolina , Gill said his campaign represents a `` GOP version 2.0 . '' He boasts that he 's raised the most money of any Republican challenger in the country in his bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney in California . Gill said the 9th Congressional District in California is the `` quintessential swing '' district . `` The person who 's going to win that race is the one who creates broad agreement about the issues of our day -- it 's getting people back to work ; it 's focusing on our agriculture economy . Those actually are consensus issues . '' More so than Tisei or Gill , Mia Love may defy most people 's expectations of a GOP candidate -- a black , conservative Mormon from Utah . If elected to represent Utah 's 4th Congressional District , Love , the mayor of Saratoga Springs , would be the first black Republican congresswoman . `` There are a lot of people who have tried to define me as a person , '' Love , a daughter of Haitian immigrants , told CNN 's Kyra Phillips in an interview last month . This year , McCarthy and other Republicans said divided government in Washington means candidates need to stress their ability to find solutions . Brad Dayspring , a senior adviser to YG Action Fund , a super PAC that supports House Republican candidates , told CNN that in 2010 candidates talked about repealing President Barack Obama 's health care overhaul , criticizing the spending in the stimulus program and opposing Democratic proposals such as cap and trade , but this year the message centers on `` solving problems . '' Dayspring , a former Cantor aide , said the party 's ideology and issues are n't changing as Republicans work to increase the GOP majority , but he noted `` a conservative in Massachusetts is going to look a lot different from a conservative in Arkansas . '' His group is evaluating GOP candidates across the country and plans to support 15 to 25 this cycle . House Speaker John Boehner , R-Ohio , insists the party is n't getting a makeover , saying Friday of these candidates , `` We did n't choose them for their demographics or their style . They just happen to be good candidates in districts that are winnable for us . '' Democrats facing these Young Gun candidates said their talk of compromise does n't add up . Early and often Democrats are tying all of these challengers to the House GOP budget authored by Ryan , which passed without a single Democratic vote and which , they argue , will end Medicare . Gill refuses to get drawn in , saying he `` salutes the idea of us having this discussion , '' but steers clear of personally endorsing the House Republican plan and instead zeroes in on his support of one piece of the plan that Ryan co-authored with a Senate Democrat . Democrats insist Republicans will change their moderate message if they win , and they 'll become just like the GOP members elected two years ago . Tierney , Tisei 's Democratic opponent in Massachusetts , told CNN , `` He 's going to fall right in line with them , and they 're the ones that wo n't compromise and we 've had compromise all the way up until the tea party election in 2010 . '' Rep. Adam Kinzinger , an llinois freshman Republican who was one of the Young Guns two years ago , said 2010 was `` a very special year because people were just ticked off so you saw all these grass-roots Americans saying I can run for Congress , and I did that as a military guy with no significant legislative experience . '' But Kinzinger said that 2010 was an `` outlier '' election and that this year candidates need to show a vision for how they 'll produce results . `` I think it 's important that Republicans and Democrats start basically reaching across the aisle and finding the areas ( where ) we agree and at least moving forward on those , '' he said . Despite the anti-incumbent mood and approval ratings for Congress at a record low , McCarthy , the House majority whip , said he believes voters will stick with Republicans this fall . `` I think the public sees some change in Congress , but they want to finish the job , '' he said . Although Boehner recently warned there was a 1-in-3 chance Republicans could lose seats in the House , McCarthy was more bullish on the party 's electoral position , telling CNN that `` there 's an opportunity to gain in the overall number '' of GOP seats . He cited the Young Guns program as the way to `` keep us on offense . ''
Tea party-infused talk of confrontation absent from some `` Young Guns '' House candidates . GOP stress need to work with Democrats to get things done in Massachusetts . Group includes openly gay ex- Utah state lawmaker , black female mayor from Massachusetts .