The NRA Celebrates Big Wins in Virginia

As you might expect, the NRA is pretty pleased with last night’s electoral results in their home state of Virginia. They’ve just issued a press release taking a little victory dance. Can you blame them? . . .

Virginians Reject Michael Bloomberg’s Pro-Gun Control Campaign and Defeat His Efforts to Flip Control of Virginia Senate.

• “The political calculus has changed, and this is what Virginians and Americans expect uur elected leaders to do to prevent gun violence.”  — Everytown President John Feinblatt (Laura Vozzella, “Bloomberg’s Gun-Control Group Bankrolls $1.5 Million Ad Buy In Second Va. Race,” The Washington Post, 10/22/15).

• “I need one seat to get control of the Senate, and we can pass common sense gun laws,” McAuliffe pleaded to Virginia voters Monday night on MSNBC’s

• “‘Amazing Powhatan turnout. Definitely Bloomberg backlash,’ longtime Democratic political operative Paul Goldman said in a text message.” http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/article_c9cfd8ac-8392-55f4-9924-af3684df8a77.html

Virginia voters dealt New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg and out of state gun control groups a stinging defeat in the 2015 election. 

• Bloomberg attempted to swing control of the Virginia Senate by spending millions to elect pro-gun control candidates, but his efforts were thwarted by candidates endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA).

• Bloomberg and out of state gun-control groups spent nearly $3 million dollars on a pro-gun control message promoting their candidates and attacking NRA-backed candidates for their support of the Second Amendment.  92% of NRA-backed candidates won in spite of their efforts.

• Bloomberg and out of state gun control groups went all-in to buy an electoral victory in Virginia, but their plans backfired when voters rejected Bloomberg’s gun control agenda.

• For weeks, Bloomberg’s gun control groups have been saying the calculus has changed and they were poised to deliver their first pro-gun control electoral victories. Voters rejected their agenda, and 92% of NRA-backed candidates won on Election Day.

• “Everytown’s big investment in Virginia reflects not only the stakes of the Senate races for McAuliffe but also the belief among gun-control advocates that their cause has begun to gain steam even in gun-friendly states after high-profile mass shootings, such as the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.” (Laura Vozzella, “Bloomberg’s Gun-Control Group Bankrolls $1.5 Million Ad Buy In Second Va. Race,” The Washington Post, 10/22/15)

• “Sturtevant’s victory margin in Powhatan also raised questions about whether a big gun-control advertising push for Gecker by a national group backed by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg backfired by turning out gun-rights advocates at the polls. Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund spent $700,000 on advertising on behalf of Gecker. ‘Amazing Powhatan turnout. Definitely Bloomberg backlash,’ longtime Democratic political operative Paul Goldman said in a text message.” http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/article_c9cfd8ac-8392-55f4-9924-af3684df8a77.html

• The latest NRA victory reinforces public polling showing a majority of Americans do not want more gun control. A recent CNN poll found that 52% of Americans oppose stricter gun control laws, six percentage points more than the 46% of Americans who support such laws. That’s a wider gap than in June, when CNN last surveyed Americans on gun control and found that the public was equally split at 49% on the issue. http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/21/politics/gun-control-poll-americans/

• It also shows again that the power of the NRA lies in its grassroots strength and the fact that they can mobilize their five million members and tens of millions of supporters to go to the polls and vote for pro-Second Amendment candidates.

Blomberg’s Biggest Fail: SD-10 Sturtevant v Gecker

• Bloomberg’s top target was NRA-backed Glen Sturtevant in SD-10.
• Obama won SD-10 with 50% of the vote.
• Bloomberg invested $730,000 in this race and ran a television ad featuring Andy Parker, father of Allison Parker, the Roanoke television reported killed on air. Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS) spent an additional $720,000 on pro-gun control advertising, opposing Sturtevant and supporting his opponent.
• The NRA spent far less mobilizing our grassroots with phone, mail and targeted digital advertising.
• The NRA aired an ad pushing back on Bloomberg and his anti-freedom agenda. https://www.nraila.org/media/20151103/audio/bloomberg
• Sturtevant ran ads pushing back on Bloomberg’s attacks and his pro-gun control message.
• BOTTOM LINE:  Bloomberg spent almost $1 million in a swing district to defeat an NRA-backed candidate with a pro-gun control message and lost.

SD-13 Black v McCabe

• Out of state gun control groups spent nearly $100,000 in this race opposing NRA-backed Dick Black and supporting his opponent, pro-gun control candidate Jill McCabe.  The NRA candidate won.

Bloomberg’s Most Embarrassing FAIL: SD-29 McPike v Parrish

• Bloomberg spent $1.7 million to elect a Democrat in a solidly blue Northern Virginia district. To add insult to injury, his gun control candidate underperformed Obama’s 2012 election by nearly 10%. In 2012, President Obama won SD-29 by 63% of the vote while Bloomberg-backed McPike only got 54% of the vote.
• The Bloomberg groups are touting this as a gun control win, but the fact is that even in this solidly blue Northern Virginia district Bloomberg did not push a gun control message. https://youtu.be/XBgAouiuGzs
• Instead they ran ads focused on a myriad of issues including education and women’s health, throwing in a dash of gun control for PR purposes. https://youtu.be/6kLPPcfr54U
• The NRA did not counter on TV or radio in SD-29.
• Hal Parrish did not push back on Bloomberg.
• In SD-10 Glen Sturtevant pushed back on Bloomberg and stood by his pro-Second Amendment values. The NRA countered with an anti-Bloomberg, pro-Second Amendment message on radio, in the mail, with phone calls and digital advertising. The pro-Second Amendment NRA-backed candidate won. https://www.nraila.org/media/20151103/audio/bloomberg