On November 2, the Second Amendment Lobby made its usual show of support for a staggering number of candidates. Whether or not Americans made a conscious decision to vote on this issue, the results show that gun rights groups endorsed a vast number of congressional candidates elected on Tuesday. The coming years will continue to prove that Second Amendment lobbyists, and their ever broadening program, are a stolid force in U.S. politics.
The NRA proved to be as active as ever this election, with over 300 endorsements for congressional candidates nationwide. Of these, only 51 lost in decided elections. The NRA Political Victory Fund did name a surprising number of democrats in its list (66), more than half of whom won their respective elections. Additionally, the NRA proclaimed victory over the decisions in Kansas, Arkansas, Tennessee and South Carolina concerning “Right to Hunt” legislation, also passed in the Midterms.
Of the more notable pro-gun victories, Pennsylvania’s Pat Toomey won the senate seat by a narrow margin (about 3%). Toomey was continually lauded throughout his campaign for an “outstanding record” of propping up Second Amendment issues in congress, while his opponent Joe Sestak was repeatedly reviled for his staunch anti-gun posture and his ties to Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
On the other side, the NRA’s continual reluctance to take a stand on Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) apparently made little difference. They chose not to endorse him or his opponent, Sharron Angle, though they graded the latter as a better candidate for Second Amendment issues. Nonetheless, Reid’s win represents a victory for the NRA-PVF, an alliance that could help to reshape some of their policies.
Another major group in Second Amendment lobbying, Gun Owners of America (GOA), announced success within their Political Victory Fund as well. Playing party lines more conclusively, the GOA did not endorse a single democrat this election, a move that may have affected the slightly less magnanimous results—of the 65 endorsed, less than two-thirds were elected. The GOA opposed Reid for the senate, a move that seems more in line with most gun rights groups. However, one of its notable victories included Rand Paul for Kentucky’s senate seat, who was absent from the NRA’s list.
This election proves that, more than ever, organizations like the NRA and GOA have the power to influence a large number of Americans, and must be responsible when they endorse politicians. Though they lean towards a single issue, many of their endorsed candidates fall into a variety of camps on a variety of topics. Therefore, these groups must be pressured toward promoting fairness and tolerance in their lobbying, and taken to task if their favored politicians do not embrace these values.