Hard Work Leads to Pro-Gun Election Victories

As the dust settles on another campaign season, we want to extend our thanks for your support, time, and donations to the Buckeye Firearms Association political action committee in the 2006 election cycle. While it will be years before the full effects of last week’s election are known, Ohio gun owners have a lot to celebrate.

What exactly did we do? A lot.

  • We directly supported endorsed candidates with dozens of volunteers donating over 100 days to various campaigns, including dropping literature, making phone calls, and putting up yard signs.
  • We created a comprehensive Pro-Gun Voter Guide that was emailed to thousands of supporters, who were encouraged to forward it to their friends statewide. The Voter Guide was also downloaded more than 2,000 times from our website.
  • We mailed our Pro-Gun Voter Guide to over 4,000 key pro-gun households around the state and also mailed the Guide to over 500 Ohio gun stores and ranges so that hundreds of thousands of people who care about the issues could be educated on our endorsed candidates.
  • In a recorded message, Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine called over 62,000 hunters to encourage them to vote for Marc Dann for Attorney General.
  • We created personalized candidate endorsement postcards and Reciprocity Cards to be used in mailings to tens of thousands of voters in key districts.
  • We distributed the Pro-Gun Voter Guide and/or our Reciprocity Cards at a variety of gun shows, including the PRO show in Columbus, the Berea show near Cleveland, the Goodman show in Dayton, and the OCGA show near Cincinnati.
  • We promoted our endorsed candidates in many local political groups in all areas of the state.
  • We promoted endorsees in multiple issues of Buckeye Firearms News and on our website, reaching thousands upon thousands of people on a daily basis right up to Election Day.
  • We issued special Email Alerts to support candidates, educate people about absentee voting, and get out the vote.
  • We contributed more than $7,000 in monetary and in-kind support for pro-gun candidates.

    What were the results of our efforts? A tidal wave of pro-gun wins.

  • We helped elect 69 out of the 81 pro-gun candidates we endorsed for the Ohio House of Representatives (an 85% win rate).
  • We helped elect 9 out of the 13 pro-gun candidates we endorsed for the Ohio Senate (a 69% win rate).
  • We helped elect pro-gun candidates for 4 out of 5 statewide executive offices, including Governor and Attorney General. Our next Governor, Ted Strickland, has a strong pro-gun voting record in Washington. Marc Dann, our next Attorney General, defeated Betty Montgomery in a crucial upset victory for gun owners.
  • We successfully supported Ohio Supreme Court candidate Bob Cupp.
  • We scored 10 wins out of 13 endorsed candidates (a 77% win rate) for U.S. Congress in our first year endorsing Federal races. One of our endorsees, Joy Padgett, was beaten by NRA “A” rated Zack Space, helping Ohio send a strong pro-gun majority to Washington D.C.
  • Overall, we won 95 out of 118 endorsed races, giving us an astonishing 80% overall win rate.

    It is important to keep in mind that these victories would not be possible if Ohio voters didn’t overwhelmingly support pro-gun rights and reject anti-gun rhetoric. It would also not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and growing cadre of Defenders who lend financial support to the cause.

    But the work never ends. Now that we have secured these victories, we now must immediately turn our attention to supporting pro-gun legislation and defeating anti-gun schemes looming on the horizon.

    We look forward to working with you to defend our firearm rights in the coming year. Once again, thank you for all you do for and with Buckeye Firearms Association. We are the voice of the pro-gun majority in Ohio. But YOU are the key to our success, and now more than ever we need your continued support.

    Related election news:

  • LESSON 2006: THE GUN VOTE MATTERS
  • COMPLETE ELECTION RESULTS
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