In a massive win for freedom, Virginia voters made their voices heard and selected two NRA-endorsed candidates for statewide office. Winsome Sears (R) and Jason Miyares (R) are set, at press time, to become the state’s next lieutenant governor and attorney general, respectively.
“Jason Miyares and Winsome Sears are strong advocates for the Second Amendment and are committed to protecting our fundamental right to keep and bear arms,” said Jason Ouimet, NRA-ILA executive director. “They will not allow law-abiding gun owners to be used as a scapegoat for criminals and gun control.”
Sears, a former marine, previously tweeted: “Marines know how to use guns and I won’t ever support a red flag law! The 2nd Amendment says ‘shall not be infringed!’”
In response, her opponent, Del. Haya Ayala (D), claimed, in an ad funded by the anti-gun organization Everytown, that Sears was a “gun lobby-endorsed extremist” simply because Sears was holding a semi-automatic rifle, pictured in the aforementioned tweet.
As for Miyares, he routinely voted against anti-Second Amendment pieces of legislation during his time in the Virginia General Assembly, including bans on commonly owned firearms, gun-confiscation efforts, onerous carry restrictions, and more.
Voters also made clear that extremist, anti-gun candidates will not be elected at the top of the ticket, as they rejected Terry McAuliffe’s (D) bid to reclaim the governor’s mansion. At press time, Glenn Youngkin (R) had been declared the winner. This is a staunch rebuke of McAuliffe’s radical agenda, which included anti-Second Amendment stances.
As we’ve reported at A1F.com, McAuliffe’s laundry list of anti-gun plans included bans on the some of the most-commonly owned semi-automatic rifles and “large-capacity” magazines. He also claimed that firearms ownership constitutes a “public-health” issue and sought to implement further waiting periods for firearms purchases.
And in the final days of his campaign, both former-President Barack Obama (D) and President Joe Biden (D) stumped for McAuliffe. McAuliffe also received a hefty amount of campaign donations from Michael Bloomberg, who continues his crusade against your rights.
Not only did Virginia voters reject McAuliffe, but this also marks the end of incumbent Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) tenure. During his time as governor, Northam attempted to enact some of the most-restrictive firearms laws, a handful of which unfortunately made it to his desk and received his signature. Thankfully, the worst of these bills was defeated and now Virginians have voted to reclaim their freedoms.
And to cap off the embarrassing night for the anti-gun movement in Virginia, it would appear that the Virginia House of Delegates has flipped from being under the control of Democrats that routinely worked in lock-step with Northam to destroy the Second Amendment.
Though Virginia’s future seemed grim just two short years ago, these results paint a brighter picture for freedom. Now, it will be up to Second Amendment-supporting Americans across the country to continue this trend a year from now in their respective states.
To get involved and make a difference in your state, visit NRA-ILA Grassroots.