Minnesota – -(AmmoLand.com)- In 2018, Second Amendment supporters failed to replace Tina Smith during a special election to fill the remainder of the term for the seat once held by Senator Al Franken. This year, they have a second chance to get it right.
As a state, Minnesota can bedevil Second Amendment supporters, especially in statewide races. Second Amendment supporters like Norm Coleman and Rod Grams won Senate seats in 2002 and 1994, but only held on for single terms – the former losing controversially to Franken in a race decided by less than 10,000 votes.
In 2016, Minnesota was close at the Presidential level – about 45,000 votes separated Donald Trump from Hillary Rodham, Clinton. The presidential races in 2000 was also close, with a margin of about 60,000 votes separating George W. Bush and Al Gore.
Gubernatorial races have been a different story, with the GOP often winning the governorship. The last GOP governor, Tim Pawlenty, won two terms before exiting due to term limits. So, at the gubernatorial level, sustained success has been possible. Can the GOP win statewide again?
There could be a chance. Minneapolis was the starting point for the riots that followed the death of George Floyd while in police custody. The devastation caused has led to many more people exercising their Second Amendment rights, to the consternation of anti-Second Amendment extremists.
This year, former Congressman Jason Lewis has won the Republican primary to take on Smith. Lewis served one term, then was beaten in 2018. Prior to winning election to Congress, Lewis was a radio talk show host and had a history of controversial statements. Lewis was a supporter of Second Amendment rights during his time in Congress, but he did lose in a Republican-leaning district in 2018.
Smith, on the other hand, has been hostile during her brief tenure. She has co-sponsored a number of anti-Second Amendment bills and has voted against pro-Second Amendment judicial nominees. Now, many think this seat is safely Democratic, but as of last week, Real Clear Politics labeled it a Toss-Up.
This is one place where the lack of a decent bench hurts Second Amendment supporters’ efforts to improve the political landscape. While Lewis represents a marked improvement on Second Amendment issues and a reliable vote to confirm good federal judges, his past controversial comments as a talk show host make this potential Toss Up a harder win than it should be. Still, if this seat can be taken, it would be a boost for the Second Amendment for six years.
Second Amendment supporters can check out the campaign site for Congressman Lewis here. They also should take the time to donate to the National Rifle Association’s Political Victory Fund to support pro-Second Amendment candidates across the country.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
Minnesota is a lost cause unless the rural districts take action