By: Teresa Mull

It’s not secret billionaire Michael Bloomberg has made gun control one of his life’s vocations, and he’s reveled where he’s pushing hardest this fall – spending big bucks in hopes of swaying voters to embrace his authoritarian policies.

In Iowa, KCCI reports:

A national gun control advocacy group said Monday it is targeting eight key races with digital ads and mailers seeking to help Democrats win back control of the Iowa House.

Everytown for Gun Safety, the group founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will spend $800,000 opposing five incumbent Republicans seeking re-election and three running for open seats.

The ads criticize the Republican candidates for their party’s work to pass weaker gun laws, such as one recently signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds that limits the ability of municipalities to ban firearms in public buildings.

“The gun lobby controls Iowa politicians, blocking laws that could save lives,” the mailers read.

Everytown had announced last month that it planned to spend $1 million to help Democrats, who need to pick up four seats to win control of the 100-member Iowa House for the first time in a decade.

In Texas, KERA reports:

The gun control advocacy group Everytown is spending $2.2 million in races for the Texas House this fall, mostly in competitive suburban districts in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Everytown will put out digital ads and direct mail to discourage voters from choosing Republican candidates in 12 seats. Democrats need to win nine state House races in all to take control of the chamber, which would give them influence over future legislation and redistricting.

And in Arizona, the AZ Mirror reports:

Gun-control group Everytown for Gun Safety will be spending $1.6 million on political ads across, radio, internet and mailers this week targeting Republicans in legislative races in an attempt to flip the state’s legislature for the first time in 60 years.

Earlier this year, the group announced it would be spending $5 million on Arizona races, and next week’s spending signals the start of the group’s efforts in the state.

Everytown for Gun Safety previously worked to elect Democratic lawmakers in Virginia in 2018, which led to changes in that state’s gun laws, such as allowing localities to regulate firearms in public places and removing guns from those with protective orders against them.

“We are going big in Arizona to flip both Arizona chambers,” Charles Boyd Kelly, Senior Political Advisor for Everytown said to the Arizona Mirror about the group’s ad buys.

The group will be spending $800,000 on digital video, radio and static ads and an additional $850,000 for mailers in targeted legislative races.

Teresa Mull ([email protected]) is editor of Gunpowder Magazine.