Students, parents, and people with souls will flood streets across the country on Saturday to demand drastic changes to gun laws that have turned the United States into a warzone.
If lawmakers were interested in listening to their constituents, the March For Our Lives would be a clear message to those who have thus far refused to do anything about the scourge of school shootings, mass killings, and everyday gun violence that has drenched the nation in blood. But unfortunately, Republicans have sold themselves out to the NRA, which has showered them in money in exchange for their support for evermore insane gun laws. There has been hardly any movement toward the slightest of reforms in Congress, because the lives of children don’t factor into an NRA voting record or pay for 30 second TV ads. And so after we march, we must take on these corrupt Republicans head-on.
In honor of the March For Our Lives, Progressives Everywhere has created a fund devoted specifically to Democratic candidates running against Republicans who serve the NRA, not their constituents. We are calling it — surprise — Progressives Everywhere vs. the NRA. Today we are presenting the first five candidates, who are taking on the five members of Congress that have taken the most dirty NRA money as of this past fall. Some of these Democrats have rivals in their primary elections, but they are the strongest on gun control in those races.
And remember: even if the odds seem a bit high, Conor Lamb won a +19 Trump district and Doug Jones is the senator from Alabama. Nothing is impossible right now.
Clarke Tucker is running against Rep. French Hill in Arkansas’s 2nd congressional district. Hill has taken over $1 million from the NRA over the course of his career. Tucker, a brilliant young lawmaker who currently serves in the Arkansas legislature, has proposed several gun control laws during his time in Little Rock. They include prohibiting people convicted of domestic battery or stalking from owning guns, as well as making it a misdemeanor offense to negligently allow a child access to a firearm. What’s more, independent polling has put him within single digits of Hill.
Karen McCormick is running against Ken Buck in Colorado’s 4th congressional district. Buck has taken over $800,00 directly from the NRA to vote against gun laws, which McCormick has promised to back. She’s been active in supporting school walkouts and the Parkland teens in their fight for sanity. Buck faces a primary challenge, which could leave him extra vulnerable.
Cindy Axne is running against David Young in Iowa’s 3rd congressional district. Young has taken over $700,000 in the NRA’s blood money over the years. Axne is one of several Democrats running in a competitive primary, but has put out the strongest statements in favor of gun control. As a mother of two school-aged kids, she has been vocal in support of the Parkland students, as well. Polling shows Iowans prefer Democrats over Republicans for Congress this year. (www.desmoinesregister.com/...)
Kathleen Williams is running against Greg Gianforte, the body-slamming, journalist-assaulting Montana congressman who has taken over $300,000 in a very, very short time in office. Williams is running in a competitive primary race in a rural at-large district, but has come out against the gun lobby, anyway.
Jess King is running against Lloyd Smucker in Pennsylvania’s new 11th congressional district. We’ve interviewed her at Progressives Everywhere, and know she’d be a strong voice for gun control.