Elections Are Over --
43rd President Remains Unknown
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"...NRA members in Al
Gore's home state of Tennessee should be exceptionally proud..." |
November 7, Election Day 2000, will go down in history as one of
the most interesting elections in history, and certainly one of
the most confusing. As we go to press, we still do not know who
will be the next President of the United States of America, and
all eyes remain focused on the state of Florida.
Due to the
closeness of the presidential race in Florida, an automatic
recount was required. If the recount confirms Texas Governor
George W. Bush (R) did, indeed, win Florida, then he should
become the 43rd U.S. President on January 20, 2001. But the final
outcome may not be known for several days, and perhaps even
longer. With that said, you can rest assured that NRA, along with
the rest of the nation, will watch Florida very closely.
As for the thousands of other races across the country, the
picture is more clear. The U.S. Congress changed a little as far
as which party controls the majority in each chamber, although
those elections, too, have not all been determined. The U.S.
Senate very well may be evenly split or tilted to the Republicans
by one or two seats.
Senator-Elect George Allen (R) |
From the pro-gun community's perspective,
though, there was not a great deal of change overall, and there
is still a slim pro-Second Amendment majority in the Senate. One
particular race of interest, though, was in Virginia, where
NRA-PVF-endorsed former Governor George Allen (R) defeated Chuck
Robb (D), who had been an important ally of anti-gun extremists
during his 12 years in the Senate.
In the U.S. House, it looks
like the Republicans will remain in control by a narrow margin,
although there are still a few races that have not been
officially called. But the majority is still considered to be
pro-gun, as there remains a substantial bloc of pro-gun
Democrats. Overall, <NRA enjoyed tremendous success in federal
races, and if the final numbers hold, more than 85% of the
candidates we endorsed won their races.
At the state level, the final results may not be known for
several days, as NRA was involved in thousands of races. But
again the pro-gun movement was successful in at least 85% of the
races in which we were involved. Pro-gun governors continue to be
the distinct majority, with 33 now in office. In addition, the
pro-gun community added three new supporters of our Right to Keep
and Bear Arms to Attorneys General offices on November 7. Of
significant note, Indiana's incumbent Attorney General, Karen
Indiana AG-Elect
Steve Carter (R) |
Freeman-Wilson (D), who attacked NRA as a speaker at the
Democratic National Convention, was defeated by NRA-PVF-endorsed
Steve Carter (R). State legislative chambers across the country
did not change dramatically, and the general landscape seems much
the same as it was before the elections. Even more telling is the
fact that no NRA-PVF-endorsed candidate at the state level lost
his race because of his views on firearms.
NRA was also involved in a number of ballot measures. In
Michigan, voters solidly rejected Proposal 2, a ploy to gut
pro-gun statutes, silence the pro-gun majority in the
legislature, and prevent Right to Carry reform from passage in
the future. In North Dakota and Virginia, voters approved "Right
to Hunt and Fish" constitutional amendments by wide margins, and
in Oregon, an attempt to ban certain traps was easily defeated.
Unfortunately, Colorado's and Oregon's "Gun Show" initiatives
passed. Local pro-gun activists simply could not overcome the
deceptive advertising campaigns and out-of-state activists who
poured in money to promote these attacks on gun shows. While NRA
helped financially at the request of our Colorado and Oregon
members, financial support for the opposition from outside these
states by individuals such as anti-gun extremist Rosie O'Donnell
and billionaire Andrew J. McKelvey of Monster.com was simply
overwhelming. Other ballot measures that were defeated included
Measure 1 in Alaska, which sought to ban wildlife initiatives
from the ballot, and Arizona's Proposition 102, which would have
required a supermajority (2/3 of the vote) to approve any
wildlife initiative. Also, Washington passed Initiative 713, a
ban on certain traps.
Overall, NRA and its members can take great pride in the effort
we put forth to ensure our success on November 7. We didn't win
every race, but we did win many—and these victories simply would
not have been possible without the active support of each and
every NRA member in our noblest of causes. NRA members in Al
Gore's home state of Tennessee should be exceptionally proud, as
their votes are likely what delivered Tennessee's 11 Electoral
votes to George Bush. NRA President Charlton Heston, NRA
Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, and NRA-ILA Executive
Director James Jay Baker hosted rallies in Knoxville and
Nashville just days prior to November 7, to bolster support for
Bush and other pro-freedom candidates. These events were attended
by thousands of NRA members. Under the current scenario, had Gore
won his home state, the race would already be decided, and Gore
would already be named our 43rd President.
The entire NRA staff
extends a heartfelt "Thank You" to all who went the extra mile on
November 7, and in the days, weeks, and months leading up to
Election Day 2000. It has often been said the price of liberty is
eternal vigilance. Rest assured, whatever battles lay ahead for
the Second Amendment, your NRA stands vigilant, ready to fight
for our Right to Keep and Bear Arms on any and all fronts.
As the
next chapter of the Second Amendment's history is written, we
hope all 4.2 million NRA members will take heart in knowing that
their Herculean efforts on behalf of America's 65 million lawful
gun owners is something that will be appreciated by, and will
benefit, the next generation of Americans.
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