With control of the Senate at stake, gun rights groups are pouring millions of dollars in outside spending into the Jan. 5 runoff election in Georgia to support two Republican candidates.
Meanwhile, gun control groups are far behind in supporting the two Democratic candidates monetarily, which could impact their chances of winning as well as President-elect Joe Biden’s hopes of passing gun control legislation in 2021.
Pro-gun groups such as the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America are backing incumbent GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler and opposing Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Republicans will hold a 50-48 majority in the Senate come January. If Republicans keep just one seat in Georgia, the GOP retains control of the Senate. If Democrats win both races, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be the tiebreaking vote, giving the party unified control of the White House and Congress.
Since Nov. 15, the NRA’s political arm has spent more than $2.2 million in independent expenditures such as billboards, ads, postcards, texting and canvassing that support Perdue and Loeffler or oppose Ossoff and Warnock, according to Federal Election Commission data.
„The NRA has spent millions with more to come,“ NRA spokeswoman Amy Hunter said in an email.
Other gun rights groups have also invested in outside spending for the Senate runoff races, FEC data show. Gun Owners of America has spent more than $126,000 on ads, emails and text messages supporting Loeffler and Perdue. Gun Rights America, the super PAC of the National Association for Gun Rights, has spent more than $22,000 on digital advertising and voter contact by phone, mail and text that opposes Warnock and Ossoff. A PAC called God, Guns & Life has spent more than $36,000 on ads supporting the Republican senators.
„It’s in the best interest of the United States and our Second Amendment rights if [Ossoff and Warnock] both lose on January 5th,“ Dudley Brown, executive director of Gun Rights America, said in a statement. „I certainly hope their ambitious political careers fade into obscurity and Georgia voters save the U.S. Senate.“
„As a woman and a mother, I value the Second Amendment which allows me to protect myself and my family with firearms,“ said Terry Beatley, president of the God, Guns & Life PAC. „This is why the God, Guns & Life PAC supports Loeffler and Perdue — they will protect gun rights.“
Gun Owners of America did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
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