Republican members of the General Assembly have stopped efforts to close the gun show loophole for years. But now a new generation of Republican candidates may indicate a shift in the momentum.
A handful of Republican candidates challenging Democratic incumbents in Northern Virginia are taking a surprising stand on closing the gun show loophole, which allows unlicensed gun dealers to sell firearms without a background check. Republican challengers to Alfonso Lopez, Kathleen Murphy and Jennifer Boysko. They all say they would vote in favor of closing the gun show loophole. So would Lolita Mancheno-Smoak, the Republican running to fill the seat vacated by retiring Delegate Dave Albo.
“I would want background checks to be conducted.”
“So that goes against many of your Republican colleagues. What would you say to them?”
“We’re all independent thinkers. We have to look at what is right from my perspective, what is right to protect our citizens. It cannot be just ideology based on party.”
Phillip Van Cleave at the Virginia Citizens Defense League says he has not seen this in previous election cycles.
“I don’t recall candidates running from the Republican side in Northern Virginia to close the gun show loophole. I don’t remember that being a strong platform item for them. I only know of one incumbent who pushed gun control a while back and then she lost her seat.”
That would be former state Senator Jeannemarie Davolites Davis. During her reelection campaign in 2007, she received financial support from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was reaching across state lines and party lines to support a Republican who advocated for gun control. She lost that election to Democrat Chap Petersen.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
