Gun Violence Prevention
September 14, 2018: Roll Call Rates Ten House Republican Seats the Most Vulnerable: Eight Democratic Challengers are Gun Sense Candidates!
Posted on September 14, 2018 at 12:00 AM
This week Roll Call posted an article entitled “The 10 Most Vulnerable House Members in 2018 List Remains All Republican.” My own research has revealed that of those 10 seats, 8 are races where the Democratic challengers have been endorsed by one or more major gun reform advocacy groups as candidates who stand for gun safety. Here is the rundown on those 8 candidates:
Anthony Brindisi (NY-22). New York State Assemblyman Brindisi is challenging Republican incumbent Claudia Tenney, a first-term conservative. Endorsed by Giffords PAC, Gabby had this to say: “Anthony knows that you can respect the Second Amendment and still take action to make our communities safer from gun violence. In Congress, Anthony will fight for background checks on all gun sales, barring domestic abusers from obtaining firearms, and a ten-day waiting period for purchasing guns.” Roll Call Race Rating: Toss-up
Angie Craig (MN-2). A former journalist and healthcare and business leader, Angie is an advocate for marriage equality. The Republican incumbent Jason Lewis won this seat against Craig two years ago by less than two points. “Angie Craig stands ready to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens while keeping guns out of the hands of violent felons, domestic abusers, and other dangerous people,” says Gabby Giffords. Roll Call Race Rating: Toss-up
Jason Crow (CO-6). Army veteran Jason Crow is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Coffman in a district where Clinton won by 10 points. Among other steps to prevent gun violence, Crow supports expanded background checks, restriction of bump stock sales, prevention of concealed gun carry reciprocity, and the ban of military-style assault weapons and accessories. Roll Call Race Rating: Toss-up
Antonio Delgado (NY-19). Delgado is running against Republican incumbent Rep. John Faso. If elected, he would be the first nonwhite representative in the 19th District. He started his own company, empowering young people to learn through music, and then began a second career as an attorney fighting for what’s fair and just. As to the gun issue, he believes we need to treat gun violence as a public health crisis. Although this district flipped from Obama to Trump, Roll Call rates this race as a Toss-up.
Katie Hill (CA-25). Republican incumbent Rep. Steve Knight faces nonprofit executive Katie Hill in this district that Clinton carried by 7 points. While the district has been a reliable Republican stronghold, it is growing increasingly more diverse. At 30 years old and as Executive Director, Hill has already raised the organization PATH from a local force for good in L.A. with a $5M budget to the largest non-profit provider of homes for the homeless in the entire state. Hill believes one can simultaneously respect the Second Amendment while also advocating for gun safety measures. While Roll Call still rates this race as Tilts Republican, The Cook Report rates it as a Toss-up.
Conor Lamb (PA-17). Democratic Representative Lamb narrowly won a special election in the neighboring District 18 in March. District 17 now falls within his home district after maps were redrawn. The new 17th District is held by Republican Keith Rothfus. A former Marine Corps Captain and federal prosecutor, Lamb is not one of the strongest gun-sense candidates; however, because of his support for legislation to expand background checks, he was endorsed by Giffords PAC. Roll Call Race Rating: Leans Democratic.
Harley Rouda (CA-48). Russia-friendly Republican incumbent Dana Rohrabacher will face Democratic challenger Harley Rouda in this heretofore reliable Republican territory. Rouda is a businessman, philanthropist, lawyer, and entrepreneur, primarily known for working with companies that make people’s lives better. Rouda believes “we need to enact common-sense reforms that will keep all Americans safe.” Roll Call Race Rating: Toss-up.
Jennifer Wexton (VA-10). Republican incumbent Barbara Comstock enjoys an “A“ rating from the NRA, while her challenger Democratic State Senator Jennifer Wexton has made gun violence prevention a top priority in the Virginia Assembly and vows to carry that fight to the U.S. Congress. Both Roll Call and The Cook Political Report rate this race as Tilts Democratic. Join WNDC Members on October 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m. for a reception to benefit Jennifer’s race!
— Shelly Livingston, Acting Chair, Task Force to Prevent Gun Violence