Today is the midterm election, and we're probably going to have a lot of after-action reports from various states, particularly in places where the Second Amendment is a big issue.
And let's understand that the Second Amendment is an issue out there, even if the politicians aren't talking about it as much as they might have in previous election cycles.
That's not just me talking, either. NRA's Institute for Legislative Action's John Commerford sees it much the same way.
The rapidly approaching midterm elections are a sobering reminder that the constitutional right to keep and bear arms cannot be taken for granted. Today, its future depends entirely on the willingness of Second Amendment supporters to participate in its defense.
Voters in states like Texas and Michigan will bear a heavy share of that duty this November.
In the Lone Star State, Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico has spent his time on the campaign trail presenting himself as a pragmatic centrist, while simultaneously backing some of the most restrictive gun control measures in the country. Besides confirming that bans on the nation’s most popular semi-automatic firearms and standard-capacity magazines remain “absolutely” on the table, Talarico supports mandatory storage laws and criminalization of private sales, as well as universal background checks that NSSF, the Firearm Industry Trade Association, claims would necessitate a national gun registry.
In the state legislature, he also authored three bills (all of which failed) to prevent Texas residents from carrying under licenses issued by other states, require background checks to rent firearms at sport shooting ranges, and tighten requirements to obtain gun licenses.
Then there is Michigan Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed, who has at least made no pretense about his views. Recently unearthed videos show el Sayed proposing to “tweak the Constitution” and “amend the amendment” to swap the right to bear arms for the right of government healthcare. He also argued that the Second Amendment protects no individual right to self-defense, suggesting instead that firearm ownership be restricted solely to government forces — all after previously calling to defund the police.
If proud constitutional defenders, especially Second Amendment loyalists, stay home this cycle, these candidates with hostile views of American rights will help shift the balance of power in the Senate and bring anti-gun forces closer to the legislative majorities they seek.
Talrico and El-Sayed are both anti-gun voices in Senate races, but let's also not forget about the House. Yes, the Senate matters a great deal because if Republicans can at least hold on to a majority, there's almost no chance of any anti-gun legislation getting through. The House still matters, if for no other reason than to stymie some of those anti-gun efforts.
Right now, YouTuber Brandon Herrera is slugging it out with attorney Katy Padilla Stout in what is a virtual dead heat, with Herrera leading but not outpacing the margin of error. As Herrera is most definitely pro-gun and his opponent isn't, having him in the House would be a big win overall, especially since he wants to dismantle the entire regulatory system surrounding guns.
In Georgia, Rick Jackson is also in a dead heat with former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. That race, too, as well as numerous other gubernatorial contests, is likely to have profound Second Amendment implications. Remember what we saw out of Virginia last year. Gun control wasn't a major issue in the campaign, and Democrats took control and immediately went to work stomping all over gun rights in the Old Dominion State. Don't think it won't happen anywhere else.
So basically, if you're reading this and you haven't voted yet, get out there and do it. Make your voice heard, because that's where our real power lies. It lies in our numbers and our voices, so make yours echo throughout the ages.