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| NOVEMBER 4, 1998
5:44 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Handgun Control |
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| 1998 Elections Are Grandslam For Gun Control; Biggest Winners Used Gun Control as Pivotal Campaign Issue; NRA Dumps $5 million into Races and Still Loses Major Ground | ||||
| WASHINGTON -
November 4 - From New York to Florida, Maryland to California, and Illinois to New Mexico, candidates in nationally-watched races campaigned on the gun control issue and won. And, for the second election in a row, the gun lobby suffered significant losses, despite its multi-million dollar campaign coffers. Prior to the election, Handgun Control, Inc.’s Voter Education Fund released its "Dangerous Dozen" list, which includes 11 candidates who could make it easier for children and criminals to get guns and Charlton Heston’s opposition to an important state referendum. In yesterday’s elections, voters defeated 11 out of 12 of the "Dangerous Dozen," including: four U.S. Senate candidates, Sen. Al D’Amato (NY), State Senator Fay Boozman (AR), Sen. Lauch Faircloth (NC), Rep. Linda Smith (WA); three U.S. House candidates, former Rep. Bob Dornan (CA-46), Rep. Bill Redmond (NM-3), and Rep. Vince Snowbarger (KS-3); three Gubernatorial candidates, State Attorney General Dan Lungren (CA), Rep. Glenn Poshard (IL), and Ellen Sauerbrey (MD); and Charlton Heston and his opposition to Florida’s Revision 12 gun show referendum. The only "Dirty Dozen" candidate to survive the election was Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-1). This election demonstrates once again that opposition to responsible gun laws is no longer acceptable to the overwhelming majority of Americans. In the nation’s most watched U.S. Senate race, Rep. Charles Schumer, author of the Brady Bill and federal assault weapons ban, soundly defeated Senator Alfonse D’Amato in New York. The NRA spent $165,000 on behalf of D’Amato. The NRA also spent a significant amount of money to re-elect Sen. Lauch Faircloth (NC), who was defeated by John Edwards, a supporter of the Brady Law and the federal assault weapons ban. The leadership of California has now turned dramatically in favor of gun control. Gun control supporter Lt. Governor Gray Davis defeated Attorney General Dan Lungren in the race for Governor. Lungren’s violation of the California assault weapons ban, as Attorney General, emerged as a key issue in the race. After Mr. Lungren lost a lawsuit on this issue earlier this year, it was revealed that he had illegally registered more than 16,000 assault weapons after the deadline established by state law. As Governor, Mr. Davis is expected to sign several gun violence prevention measures recently vetoed by Governor Wilson, including a Saturday Night Special Ban. In an effort to defeat Davis, the NRA blanketed the state with mailings to their members, urging them to vote for Lungren. Clearly, their efforts were unsuccessful. In another California race defined by gun control, Sen. Barbara Boxer won re-election against her anti-gun-control opponent Matt Fong. In Maryland, Governor Parris Glendening touted his strong record on gun control all the way to an election-day victory. Maryland gun dealers called his opponent, Ellen Sauerbrey, their "savior." When Sauerbrey ran against Glendening in 1994, she challenged election results with $25,000 in support from the NRA. Governor Glendening signed Maryland’s successful one-gun-a-month legislation into law and has consistently criticized Sauerbrey’s opposition to gun control. He has also pledged to seek legislation which would require all handguns sold in Maryland to utilize "personalized gun" technology, which would prevent anyone other than a designated owner from firing a gun. In the most accurate test of the NRA’s declining electoral strength, the NRA spent an estimated $400,000 to defeat Florida’s Revision 12, the referendum that will allow couties to require background checks and waiting periods on sales by unlicensed dealers at gun shows. The NRA ran controversial ads featuring Charlton Heston throughout Florida, the home state of former NRA president Marion Hammer. Despite these efforts, the NRA lost in a landslide, with more than 70% of Floridians voting in favor of the referendum. The success of the referendum could have a domino effect, with other states following Florida’s lead. Voters supported gun control across party lines. In the Illinois Gubernatorial race, pro-gun-control Republican George Ryan defeated Democratic Rep. Glenn Poshard, who opposed and then waffled on gun control. "The 1998 elections are further proof that support for gun control is mainstream and mainstreet America," said Handgun Control, Inc. Chair Sarah Brady. "Furthermore, in race after race, the NRA and its deep pockets proved to be a political liability, not an asset. After yesterday’s election, I think we will see more and more candidates and Members of Congress back away from NRA money and anti-gun-control positions if they want to win the support of the American people." ### |
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