Monday, November 10, 2014

Democratic Losses in CT weren't about Gun Law

Following the midterm election, the Speaker of the CT General Assembly tried to pin the blame for Democratic losses on voting for CT's 2013 gun law. It was his way of shifting the reason from other issues on which Democrats were perceived to be weak. I was thrilled to see this published in the Hartford Courant, the country's oldest newspaper.

In the wake of last week’s Democratic losses in the CT General Assembly, House Speaker Brendan Sharkey said Democrats lost because they voted yes on SB1160, the 2013 gun safety reform bill[1]. Speaker Sharkey’s assessment of the political risk of supporting common-sense gun laws is patently false.
Of the 106 Senate and House candidates who voted yes on SB1160, more than 90 percent were re-elected[2]. Gun regulation wasn’t a key issue in several of the contests where incumbent Democrats lost, so it’s disingenuous of Mr. Sharkey to blame their losses on support of gun violence prevention.
In the gubernatorial race, Gov. Malloy made unwavering support for the landmark legislation a centerpiece of his campaign. Grassroots gun safety advocates across the state were outspoken in their support for the governor. Malloy’s opponent Tom Foley did just the opposite, embracing extremist gun owners and taking an openly hostile position on gun safety reform. Foley went so far as to say he would not enforce aspects of the law[3] and would repeal it if given the opportunity. 
Foley’s pro-gun strategy failed. He received nearly 40,000 fewer votes than in his race against Malloy in 2010.  Malloy increased his margin of victory over Foley fourfold, with gains coming from around the state, not just in urban areas[4]. Compared to the 2010 campaign, the significant new policy debate was the gun law.  On that issue the winning strategy was Malloy’s. As U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal remarked,  “there are rewards for common sense and sensible solutions, particularly in the area of stopping gun violence.”[5]
On the Democratic side, Speaker Sharkey is a lone voice in blaming Democratic losses on support of gun safety reform. In contrast, GOP leaders have not been shy about calling the state GOP party to task for running a pro-gun candidate in a state still recovering from the Sandy Hook school shooting. But for its poor choice, noted former U.S. Representative Chris Shays, Malloy’s advantage on the gun issue could have been neutralized.[6]
Speaker Sharkey’s thesis is further refuted by the outcome on the other side of the aisle. Every Republican House member who voted yes on SB1160 was re-elected. The only incumbent Republican to lose was Mike Molgano, who voted against the 2013 gun bill. His opponent, Caroline Simmons, a 28 year-old newcomer to elective office, made gun violence prevention a prominent message in her campaign.
In Congressional races, first term U.S. Representative Elizabeth Esty, a vocal advocate for stronger gun regulation, overcame a challenge from Mark Greenberg, an NRA “A” rated candidate who is more concerned with limits on Second Amendment rights than protecting us from gun violence. In his 2010 Congressional campaign, Greenberg wrote “I will ensure that no bills violate our Constitutional Rights as lawful citizens to own and possess firearms.”[7]
The NRA and its local ally, the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, whose endorsement Tom Foley eagerly accepted[8], lost decisively in Connecticut.
But it wasn’t only in Connecticut that voters expressed their support for reasonable regulation of firearms and the candidates that champion gun safety reform. It happened around the nation. Despite spending nearly $5 million in Colorado advancing its “guns everywhere” agenda[9], the NRA was not able to unseat Gov. Hickenlooper, another sponsor of strong state-level gun law reforms.
In Washington State, a solid 60% of voters approved a universal background check referendum despite a counterproposal designed by the gun lobby to confuse the issue. In Cook County, Illinois, an overwhelming 86% of voters approved a tough sense-of-the-electorate measure calling for universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high capacity magazines[10]—key elements of the law that Gov. Malloy signed last year.
Despite Speaker Sharkey misreading election results, we cannot overlook his instrumental support in passing the tough measures following Sandy Hook, or his recognition that lawmakers showed integrity by voting yes on SB1160. I look forward to the Speaker’s support when Gov. Malloy follows through on his proposal to close the loophole that allows domestic abusers with temporary restraining orders to keep and buy guns.[11]
There is still legislative work to be done to reduce gun violence. If last week’s election showed anything, it’s that being on the right side of protecting communities from gun violence is also good politics.



[1]   CT House GOP - Most Members Since 1994, Hartford Courant, 11/5/14
[2]   99 of the 106 House and Senate incumbent candidates who voted yes on SB1160 were re-elected. Analysis by CT Against Gun Violence.
[3]   CT gubernatorial debate, 8/27/14
[4]   6 Reasons Malloy Did Better in 2014, Hartford Courant, 11/6/14
[7]     Mark Greenberg campaign website
[8]     Connecticut gun rights group backs Foley, Washington Times, 8/29/14
[9]     7 Big Gun Fights to Watch on Election Day, Mother Jones, 10/30/14
[10]   It Was a Great Night for Gun Reform, The Nation, 11/5/14
[11]   Dan Malloy, Tom Foley: Close Gun Loophole, Hartford Courant, 9/18/14