By: Brenden Boudreau
While the final results of the presidential race are still up for debate and discussion, there are many things that gun owners can glean from the results from the November 3rd Election.
The Good
The Gun Control lobby spent millions of dollars for little political gain. In fact, there were several news headlines in the final weeks before the election reporting that Michael Bloomberg’s gun control advocacy groups were cutting back on their spending and were even using their resources deceptively against pro-gun candidates, not attacking them on the Second Amendment but on other political issues entirely.
What they learned during the 2020 election cycle is that their gun control agenda is not a winner and instead focused their efforts on other avenues of attack.
Despite being an outspoken gun control advocate, Arizona Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate Mark Kelly spent very little of his campaign talking about his position on the right to keep and bear arms. This is not surprising, since he was running for office in arguably one of the most pro-gun states in the Union. And even though he defeated Republican U.S. Senator Martha McSally, who was no hero of the Second Amendment, it’s yet to be seen how he will actually vote once in office.
Democrats nearly lost their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives after advancing and advocating for a smorgasbord of radical anti-gun measures. Several Democrat lawmakers who survived their election challenges spoke out against the fringe of their party, believing that it was their inflammatory rhetoric and radical agenda that nearly handed control of the House to the Republicans.
Republicans made solid gains in state level fights across the country, setting up potential wins for gun owners in Montana, South Carolina, Tennessee, and elsewhere. Constitutional Carry could be on the move in many states, and the National Association for Gun Rights will be there every step of the way to help ensure it happens.
The Bad
While gun owners fared well overall in state level races, unfortunately, matters only got worse in a handful of states where anti-gun Democrats grew their majorities, setting the table for more gun grabs come 2021. Democrats grew their majorities in New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado, to name a few states where outright gun bans, government-mandated storage laws, and a myriad of other restrictions will likely be on the table.
The Ugly
The coverage of the 2020 election cycle has been a picture perfect exhibit of media bias and is why many are skeptical of what they are being fed through social media and headlines. The absolute disdain for the rights of law-abiding Americans and their ability to practice their Second Amendment rights, while constantly being told by the talking heads to just “trust us” on the elections results, is why many are sitting on the edge of their seats.
While the dust has yet to settle on the presidential election, the fact remains that the gun control lobby lost on Election Day, and there was no amount of anti-gun rhetoric that the mainstream media could pump out to prop up their chosen candidates. With government lockdowns, and “Defund the Police” being the banner of the Democratic Party, Americans are rightly fearful of the direction of our nation and are working to arm themselves at a record rate.
New gun owners are now recognizing the value of the Second Amendment, meaning the opposition to gun grabs and anti-gun restrictions is growing, meaning the gun control lobby is going to have a more difficult time pushing their agenda, but only if gun owners stay involved.
Brenden Boudreau is the Director of Field Operations for the National Association for Gun Rights, writing from Michigan. Contact him at [email protected].