2006 ELECTIONS DEMONSTRATE LIMITS OF GUN LOBBY'S INFLUENCE

NRA-backed candidates lose in key House, Senate and governor races

Washington, DC – On Tuesday, candidates endorsed by the National Rifle Association fared poorly in election races across the country, as Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives and stood poised to regain the Senate.

In the House of Representatives, scores of candidates who had been endorsed by the NRA were defeated.   The NRA also lost key Senate races in which it had invested considerable sums of money—pro-gun candidates including Jim Talent (R-MO), Mike Bouchard (R-MI) and Michael Steele (R-MD) were rejected by voters.  The gun lobby also met defeat in governor races in which guns were a heavily debated issue, such as in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

“When it mattered most, the NRA did not come through this year,” said Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Joshua Horwitz.   “In several high profile races, the gun lobby put its credibility on the line—and lost.  This proves what we’ve said all along…you can take on the NRA and win.”

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence looks forward to working productively with the 110^th Congress.  “We will now be able to have a real dialogue on illegal guns and firearms trafficking on Capitol Hill,” said Horwitz, “and Americans across the country will benefit.”