The unspeakable tragedy in Parkland, Florida on Wednesday compels us to speak up, as loud as we can and for as long as possible. Yet another school shooting, yet another bloody rampage by a homegrown terrorist with a weapon that no one outside the military should ever need or be able to access. There were 17 needless deaths because America is the only country that makes it easier to buy semi-automatic rifles than a bottle of wine.
There are several Republican lawmakers who have taken an exorbitant amount of money from the NRA that now face credible, aggressive, progressive Democratic candidates. Unfortunately, many of those candidates have yet to make clear their positions on gun control. In some cases, it's a matter of coming from rural districts, where it can be a tricky issue, but nonetheless, we can't exactly throw our support behind them quite yet; we want vocal Democrats taking on the gun lobby. But several candidates stand out as bold leaders on the matter.
An important one to highlight is Jess King, who is running against Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-16), one of the biggest NRA lapdogs in Congress. In fact, Smucker received more money from the NRA than any other congressional candidate in 2016. The Pennsylvania map is about to be redrawn, but King will still be running for office. And you have to admire how vocal she's been about gun control; unlike most candidates in her position, she has a detailed statement on her site about the need for new gun laws. You can donate to Jess King via ProgressivesEverywhere’s ActBlue page.
Jason Crow, who is taking on NRA favorite Mike Coffman, has been endorsed by Gabby Giffords, so he’ll be the next on the list, though I’d still like to see a statement from him. Karen McCormick, who is taking on Ken Buck, similarly needs to put out a statement. The list goes on.
I’m looking for other candidates who are taking on NRA lapdogs, and have put out strong statements in favor of gun control. Please, suggest them to me! I will over the next few weeks add them to the fundraising appeal, so that we can help boost their campaigns.