Tuesday wasn't a great day for anyone who values gun rights. While there's a lot of debate about just how bad it was, with everything from "absolute travesty" to "really a nothingburger," there's not really any debate about it not being good. Cam took a swing at what it would mean for Virginia gun owners, as part of that.
He's not the only one who looked at it, either.
First, Lee Williams at The Gun Writer, which is part of the Second Amendment Foundation's investigative journalism work, offered this about Mamdani's win:
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson described Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s election victory as “the biggest win for socialism and the biggest loss for the American people.”
Speaker Johnson understands how badly the New York City mayor-elect can harm our civil rights, especially our Second Amendment rights.
The mainstream media looks at Mamdani with damn-near lust in their eyes. He’s 34, good-looking, well spoken, Muslim and even more leftist than the reporters who cover his every single word.
The anti-gun media has constantly tried to stamp-out those who support the Second Amendment. Their only problem has been finding the right sources. However, once Mamdani is sworn in as Mayor, the media’s wait is over. Mamdani will become a loud national anti-gun voice.
The Democratic Socialists of America could hardly contain their glee Tuesday night, firing off a lengthy statement that contained most of their policy plans, at least the ones they want the public to know about.
“We look forward to fighting alongside Mayor Mamdani to win a rent freeze, fast and free buses, and universal childcare. We will continue to fight for a free Palestine, to get ICE out of our cities, fight for alternatives to policing that truly keep communities safe, and stand up to Donald Trump’s attacks on our social services,” Democratic Socialists of America posted on its website.
For all gun owners, not just those behind the lines in New York City, Mamdani’s election was the absolute worst. He never hid his hatred of modern firearms. In fact, he was lobbying hard against legal firearm ownership before he was elected mayor.
Yes, he wants to ban all guns. Let's never forget that, nor that it's a talking point for most of the admitted socialists out there. Those who don't admit it likely think it deep in the parts of their minds they don't let out in public, but enough of them are in favor of it that we should be looking in askance at anyone who claims to be a socialist.
Now, the upside here is that as a mayor, Mamdani doesn't have any direct say in federal firearm laws. However, he can make things interesting for gun owners in New York City, and I mean "interesting" in the Chinese curse sense of the term.
And he likely will.
Further, as mayor of a huge city, he has some degree of pull in New York state. He can't call the shots, but don't be surprised if he and Gov. Kathy Hochul cozy up to infringe on the Second Amendment still more than she has already.
It's not just New York City that's going to be in a tighter spot, either.
The NRA has thoughts about the city, too, but also Virginia and New Jersey.
The National Rifle Association on Thursday released a new ad warning of potential crackdowns on firearms after Democrats saw a series of election victories across the country on Tuesday.
"It's time to wake up," states the ad, which focuses on three Democrat candidates who pledged to ban certain types of guns and firearm accessories and went on to win their campaigns: Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill, and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
The ad shows all three candidates, and former Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking about limiting the sale of certain guns and related accessories while on the campaign trail.
The NRA notes that Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a measure passed by Democrats in the state that would have banned the sale of "assault weapons" such as the AR-15 rifle and similar guns.
The NRA's Doug Hamlin noted that the organization has been warning people about the control the fringe left has taken in the party, and Tuesday's results just sort of solidify much of that.
Honestly, of the two states, Virginia is the one I have the most concern for.
As it stands, Sherill is likely to continue the anti-gun policies of Gov. Phil Murphy, so it's really just more of the same there. That's bad, of course, but it's also the status quo.
But in Virginia, lawmakers have pushed an anti-gun agenda for years now, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been a wall that has helped protect the gun rights remaining to law-abiding Virginians. That means rather than a continuation of current policy, Virginians are going to feel a significant whiplash as that wall is set to be gone by the first part of 2026.
That's not a good thing at all, and it's a legitimate issue we're going to have to deal with as Second Amendment advocates. Further, we can't allow it to take hold anywhere without a challenge, because if it happens in one place, it won't stay there. Someone will try it somewhere else.
So dig in, boys and girls. The next couple of years are going to be a bumpy ride.
