Virginia is one of only two states with gubernatorial elections this fall, and gun control is already taking center stage in this race.
The Democrat nominee, former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, recently made her anti-gun agenda clear at an event held by Everytown, the gun-control group bankrolled by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Spanberger claimed at the event that Virginia needs “a governor to sign” gun-control legislation. This was a reference to current Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) vetoes of numerous anti-Second Amendment bills.
Last year, Youngkin vetoed more than two dozen anti-gun bills. This year, he vetoed another two dozen. These included bills that would have restricted the Second Amendment rights of 18-to-20-year-old adults, dramatically expanded “gun-free zones” that would have left law-abiding Virginians defenseless, banned a wide range of commonly owned firearms, and much more.
“For the second year in a row, gun control activists tried to enact dozens of radical, California-style laws that would have severely restricted the Second Amendment rights of gun owners in the Commonwealth. The NRA applauds Governor Youngkin for upholding his promise to protect our Constitutional freedoms,” said John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (ILA).
By Spanberger’s own words, she would have signed these egregious pieces of legislation into law instead of vetoing them. Her track record backs this up. “I support universal background checks, Extreme Risk Protective Orders, banning bump stocks, and reenacting the assault weapons ban,” Spanberger posted on X in 2018, while running for Congress.
On the other side of the gubernatorial campaign is Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R). She is a staunch defender of the Second Amendment; indeed, she graciously spoke with America’s 1st Freedom after winning her 2021 election over state Del. Hala Ayala (D), another noted anti-Second Amendment legislator.
“Remember that our government is we the people—not we the politicians, not we the elite. It’s we the people! Don’t be afraid, and don’t be caught napping. You’re the people,” said Earle-Sears in that exclusive interview.
Since taking office, Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears and Gov. Youngkin, who is prohibited by Virginia’s constitution from running for consecutive terms, have warded off one attack after another against the right to keep and bear arms.
Election day is Nov. 4 in Virginia and given that this is an off-year election cycle, it will be a bellwether of sorts for how attitudes are changing across the country. We’ll keep you up to date on this crucial race and what it means for the future of freedom in Virginia.
