When the campaign season fired up, Democrats were convinced that gun control was not only going to be a huge issue but a winning one for them. Candidates laid out their anti-Second Amendment credentials and they started pushing for things like universal background checks and assault weapon bans.

Uvalde, in theory, should have sealed the deal.

However, what happened in Texas turned out to have just as much, if not more to do with school security than firearm laws, and the public has, for the most part, moved onto more pressing issues.

This is especially true after Bruen. That decision pretty much laid the groundwork for dismantling gun control and everyone knows it, so running on new rules isn’t likely to be a winning strategy. Even if you pass them, what are the odds they’ll hold up?

And if you had any doubt that’s true, then maybe the fact that gun rights are looking to gain ground in Illinois should remove those doubts.

With some on the campaign trail saying there needs to be more gun control, a gun rights group sees legal victories in the future.

Candidates like incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker have been on the campaign trail saying the state must pass stricter gun control following several mass shooting events.

“In the aftermath of Highland Park, I grieved with the families and called for an assault weapons ban and a ban on high capacity magazines,” Pritzker said at a recent campaign stop with gun control advocates.

…

[Guns Save Life Executive Director John] Boch expects a challenge against the state’s Firearm Owner’s Identification Card to succeed, something he says will do away with the state-issued ID for gun owners.

“Gun control does not impact the ability of criminals to carry guns, it only impacts the ability for law abiding citizens to have guns and use guns to protect their families from violent crime,” Boch said.

Now, this isn’t quite as good as Illinois voters turning against gun control. That would be far preferable, to be honest.

But any repeal of the unconstitutional FOID requirement is huge, and it’s likely to create ramifications across the nation since Illinois isn’t the only state with a permit-to-purchase requirement. That gets especially interesting if Oregon passes Measure 114, which would require a permit to purchase a firearm for that state’s residents as well.

At least, it will eventually.

Right now, it kind of feels like we’re in this weird place. Politicians are pushing for gun control left and right, eager to strip us of our rights and our ability to defend ourselves, all in the name of doing it “for your own good,” but the court decisions are dropping in our favor, also left and right.

If Illinois residents see profound gun rights gains, as Boch believes, then it will be a clear sign that no matter what the politicians say, our rights will be preserved, at least for now.

It also becomes clear that every election going forward matters because that majority on the Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become endangered.