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Source: Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March
No Mandate For Gun Extremism
Tuesday November 9, 11:31 am ET
Gun Lobby Losing Clout In Key States
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week's elections may have led to victory for more conservatives,
but on gun issues, an analysis of the results shows a trend towards greater support for sensible gun laws in
some key battleground states that have not shown that support in the past.
The results show that despite the extremist gun lobby's efforts to make a claim of victory, it actually suffered
erosion of support in states where it once commanded clout. The National Rifle Association, post 2004, should
be viewed as becoming more firmly dependent on high-performing Republican states as the source of the
overwhelming majority of its strength.
Senator John Kerry, pilloried by the gun lobby as supposedly the worst threat to gun owners in the nation, won
Maine, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, six states supposedly among the
leaders in NRA membership. The gun lobby also saw total rejection in Illinois and close races in Ohio, Iowa,
Nevada and New Mexico, other places where the extreme gun lobby held more sway in the past. In Colorado's
Senate race, Ken Salazar (principal supporter of the successful 2000 state ballot initiative closing the gun show
loophole), defeated an opponent who called for repealing the Brady law. In New Hampshire's Senate race,
incumbent Republican Judd Gregg was re-elected after voting to renew the assault weapons ban, joining
President George W. Bush in moving to the middle on sensible gun laws.
"For the extreme gun lobby to lose the battleground states that it lost, I have to believe that their post-election
spin is about as wobbly as it can get," said Sarah Brady, Chair of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
and the Million Mom March. "This is a show of continued marginalizing for the gun lobby, not a show of force."
"The NRA has their preferred candidate in the White House for another four years, but only after the President
abandoned the NRA's rhetoric and sought to associate himself with sensible gun laws like renewing the assault
weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole," said Brady President Michael Barnes. "Even in places like
Colorado and New Hampshire, voters weren't moved by the extreme gun lobby's message, and convincingly
elected senators who supported sensible gun laws. These elections weren't a tie on the gun issue -- supporters
of gun safety saw growth in support in states where the issue has been tougher in the past."
The numbers paint a far different picture than the gun lobby is attempting to portray. NRA-backed candidates
were elected in only half of the 34 U.S. Senate races in 2004. The group did not endorse in 13 Senate races
either because both candidates were for sensible gun laws or because their candidate was sure to lose.
In seven of these states, an NRA "A" rated candidate ran against a candidate with an NRA rating of "F" or "D"
and lost. Further, only one U.S. Senator (Senator Daschle) who supported the renewal of the federal assault
weapons ban last March lost a seat, while the other 13 Senators up for re- election who voted to renew the
federal assault weapons ban won handily.
Candidate John Thune's victory over Senator Daschle came after a campaign focused on Daschle's position as
minority leader rather than the gun issue. No other incumbent Senator lost.
The NRA's supposed high winning percentage in the House was based on a strategy of endorsing incumbents
over challengers. Where it backed challengers over incumbents, the group lost three out of four races. Thus,
their percentage is largely mythical -- endorsing in easy races to increase their winning percentage. The NRA
claims to have won a large majority of House races where they endorsed. What they didn't point out were 66
other House races where they gave a candidate an "A" or "B" rating and did not endorse them despite their
opponent receiving an NRA "F" or "D."
The Bush campaign moved to the left on the gun issue during the campaign. In the third debate, President
Bush said he supported not only the assault weapons ban, but closing the gun show loophole as well. It could
not have been a message the gun lobby was very pleased with -- the NRA did not endorse any other Federal
candidate who took those policy positions.
The analysis shows that "if there's soul searching to do on the gun issue, it's inside the extreme gun lobby, not
among supporters of sensible gun laws," Mrs. Brady said. "That's why President Bush stayed clear of the gun
lobby's rhetoric -- and why the conservatives in Congress had better think twice before trying to roll back
sensible gun laws."
There is little sign the extreme gun lobby is reading the results the way it should. The conservative Gun Owners
of America has already published its legislative wish list, including such priorities as repealing the Brady law,
lifting the ban on machine guns, and doing away with restrictions on guns within a thousand feet of a school.
That's not what Americans voted for. And in time, the gun lobby will discover that.
CONTACT: Peter Hamm of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March,
+1-202-898-0792
No Mandate For Gun Extremism
Tuesday November 9, 11:31 am ET
Gun Lobby Losing Clout In Key States
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week's elections may have led to victory for more conservatives,
but on gun issues, an analysis of the results shows a trend towards greater support for sensible gun laws in
some key battleground states that have not shown that support in the past.
The results show that despite the extremist gun lobby's efforts to make a claim of victory, it actually suffered
erosion of support in states where it once commanded clout. The National Rifle Association, post 2004, should
be viewed as becoming more firmly dependent on high-performing Republican states as the source of the
overwhelming majority of its strength.
Senator John Kerry, pilloried by the gun lobby as supposedly the worst threat to gun owners in the nation, won
Maine, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, six states supposedly among the
leaders in NRA membership. The gun lobby also saw total rejection in Illinois and close races in Ohio, Iowa,
Nevada and New Mexico, other places where the extreme gun lobby held more sway in the past. In Colorado's
Senate race, Ken Salazar (principal supporter of the successful 2000 state ballot initiative closing the gun show
loophole), defeated an opponent who called for repealing the Brady law. In New Hampshire's Senate race,
incumbent Republican Judd Gregg was re-elected after voting to renew the assault weapons ban, joining
President George W. Bush in moving to the middle on sensible gun laws.
"For the extreme gun lobby to lose the battleground states that it lost, I have to believe that their post-election
spin is about as wobbly as it can get," said Sarah Brady, Chair of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
and the Million Mom March. "This is a show of continued marginalizing for the gun lobby, not a show of force."
"The NRA has their preferred candidate in the White House for another four years, but only after the President
abandoned the NRA's rhetoric and sought to associate himself with sensible gun laws like renewing the assault
weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole," said Brady President Michael Barnes. "Even in places like
Colorado and New Hampshire, voters weren't moved by the extreme gun lobby's message, and convincingly
elected senators who supported sensible gun laws. These elections weren't a tie on the gun issue -- supporters
of gun safety saw growth in support in states where the issue has been tougher in the past."
The numbers paint a far different picture than the gun lobby is attempting to portray. NRA-backed candidates
were elected in only half of the 34 U.S. Senate races in 2004. The group did not endorse in 13 Senate races
either because both candidates were for sensible gun laws or because their candidate was sure to lose.
In seven of these states, an NRA "A" rated candidate ran against a candidate with an NRA rating of "F" or "D"
and lost. Further, only one U.S. Senator (Senator Daschle) who supported the renewal of the federal assault
weapons ban last March lost a seat, while the other 13 Senators up for re- election who voted to renew the
federal assault weapons ban won handily.
Candidate John Thune's victory over Senator Daschle came after a campaign focused on Daschle's position as
minority leader rather than the gun issue. No other incumbent Senator lost.
The NRA's supposed high winning percentage in the House was based on a strategy of endorsing incumbents
over challengers. Where it backed challengers over incumbents, the group lost three out of four races. Thus,
their percentage is largely mythical -- endorsing in easy races to increase their winning percentage. The NRA
claims to have won a large majority of House races where they endorsed. What they didn't point out were 66
other House races where they gave a candidate an "A" or "B" rating and did not endorse them despite their
opponent receiving an NRA "F" or "D."
The Bush campaign moved to the left on the gun issue during the campaign. In the third debate, President
Bush said he supported not only the assault weapons ban, but closing the gun show loophole as well. It could
not have been a message the gun lobby was very pleased with -- the NRA did not endorse any other Federal
candidate who took those policy positions.
The analysis shows that "if there's soul searching to do on the gun issue, it's inside the extreme gun lobby, not
among supporters of sensible gun laws," Mrs. Brady said. "That's why President Bush stayed clear of the gun
lobby's rhetoric -- and why the conservatives in Congress had better think twice before trying to roll back
sensible gun laws."
There is little sign the extreme gun lobby is reading the results the way it should. The conservative Gun Owners
of America has already published its legislative wish list, including such priorities as repealing the Brady law,
lifting the ban on machine guns, and doing away with restrictions on guns within a thousand feet of a school.
That's not what Americans voted for. And in time, the gun lobby will discover that.
CONTACT: Peter Hamm of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March,
+1-202-898-0792
