Large number of pro-gun candidates win party primaries

Voters went to the polls on May 4 to cast ballots in their respective primaries and selected a large number of pro-gun candidates as their party nominees for the general election.

U.S. Senate
Republican Rob Portman was unopposed, but the outcome of the Democrat contest ensured that, come November, the pro-gun Portman will face the most anti-gun candidate the Democrats have to offer. Former Handgun Control Inc. board member Lee Fisher, the BFA F-rated Lieutenant Governor who once said he'd never met a gun control law he didn't like, defeated Jennifer Bruner, who received a C- grade from BFA.

U.S. Congress
On the Republican ballot, Buckeye Firearms Association endorsed seven candidates, and all were victorious. Three other B-graded candidates won their races, and in a fourth race two A-graded candidates are separated by only 164 votes.

On the Democrat ballot, Buckeye Firearms Association endorsed three candidates, and two were victorious. One other B-graded candidate won her race.

State Offices
BFA-endorsed Republican Jon Husted earned his party's nomination for Secretary of State, and will now face anti-gun Democrat Maryellen O'Shaughnessy.

BFA co-endorsed Republican Dave Yost, who was successful in his bid to become the party's nominee for Auditor of State.

State Senate
On the Republican ballot, Buckeye Firearms Association issued co-endorsements in three contested races, and pro-gun candidates earned their party's endorsement in all three races. Two candidates who received singular endorsements were unsuccessful.

State Representative
On the Republican ballot, Buckeye Firearms Association issued singular endorsements to eight candidates, and seven were victorious. Another race featured six candidates, three of which earned a co-endorsement, and one of those three eventually won the nomination by just 282 votes over a non-endorsed candidate. Finally, two other B-graded candidates won their races.

On the Democrat ballot, Buckeye Firearms Association endorsed three candidates, and two were victorious. One other B-graded candidate won his race.

Court of Appeals
On the Republican ballot, Buckeye Firearms Association issued one singular endorsement, and that candidate successfully defeated the anti-gun incumbent by just 679 votes! Dual BFA endorsements were issued in two other contests, and BFA endorsees were successful at earning their party's nomination in both districts.

State Central Committee
For the first time in our history, Buckeye Firearms received and graded surveys from candidates for the position of Republican State Central Committee. While we contacted the Ohio Republican Party to request surveys from the incumbents, and graded and endorsed incumbents where appropriate, most of the surveys received and graded were from challengers. By and large, efforts of challengers to unseat incumbents fell short. And since most incumbents failed to return surveys, we still know far too little about most of them on the issue of Second Amendment rights.

Click here to view complete election results for candidates that received BFA's 2010 Primary grades and endorsements.