After the Democrats' sweeping victories in the US midterm elections, some gun rights advocates are revising their strategies to reach across the aisle and find allies on the left. While major groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) are poised to challenge any gun safety legislation from the new Democratic Congress, others argue the movement should not remain so closely tied to the Republican party.
A Shift in Strategy
Rob Pincus, executive vice-president of the Second Amendment Organization, a non-profit advocating for gun rights and offering firearms training, said, “Leaders in gun rights organizations for the most part don’t believe it’ll ever happen, but a few recognize that because of the shift in voting patterns toward the left, it will be important to work with gun owners who vote Democrat.”
Pincus, who has worked in the gun industry for over 30 years, has spent the last decade proposing that the movement reduce its support for Republicans—who already back looser gun laws—and instead court Democrats to remove gun control from the party's central agenda. He said, “This midterm presents an opportunity to take that message, which hasn’t been received well by the loudest voices in the gun community, and take it out for another try.”
Changing Demographics
Gun ownership has increased among people on the left, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community, creating potential ground for reaching younger Democrats across the US. This marks a departure from past decades when major gun rights groups were intertwined with the conservative movement. The NRA entered politics in the 1970s, increased involvement after the 1994 assault weapons ban, and again during Donald Trump's 2016 presidential run, becoming seen as an extension of the Republican party.
Stephen Gutowski, a firearm trainer and founder of the Reload, an outlet covering gun policy, said, “Being a card-carrying member of the NRA often means more than that you just like guns. It feels like most people who support gun rights are rightwing and have a bunch of other political or cultural beliefs that come packaged together, like support for strict immigration enforcement.” He added, “My impression is that no one is clocking this as a significant sea change moment in the gun fight.”
Financial and Political Impact
The financial influence of gun rights groups is also shifting. Gutowski noted that the NRA, once out-fundraising and outspending gun control groups, has been “falling off the last couple of cycles.” Since 2018, gun violence prevention groups like Everytown for Gun Safety and the Giffords Law Center have poured more money into elections than the NRA, according to an analysis of campaign spending by the Trace.
At least one-third of US adults now live in a home with one or more guns, per the Pew Research Center. Many of these gun owners do not share conservative views on issues like abortion, immigration, and policing, but they do want fewer restrictions on guns and accessories, Pincus said. He concluded, “They need to get out of the culture war business. It’s foolish to pretend that 100 million gun owners are only going to vote for Republicans.”
