The six candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in the race against Rep. Barbara Comstock[1] in Virginia disagree on quite a bit about the direction of their party, but they are unified on one key issue — gun control.
Where in the past Virginia Democrats would try to defuse the issue or even fight for support from the National Rifle Association[2], in the post-Parkland world the six candidates say the only path forward is expanded background checks and bans on sales of some types of rifles.
One candidate, Julia Biggins, is even calling for an Australian-style gun buyback scheme to reduce the number of semiautomatic weapons in Americans’ hands.
“Every time I mention it, people think it is a good solution to getting those guns off the street,” Ms. Biggins said. “It’s people deciding, ‘Hey, I don’t need this assault weapon in my house; I’d like to turn it in,’ because they understand the importance of this.”
State Sen. Jennifer Wexton, the perceived front-runner in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, has named guns as one of the most important issues for voters and has won the endorsement of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
“As a state senator, I have passed more than 40 pieces of bipartisan legislation, while supporting important progressive causes like reducing gun violence, expanding access to health care, and protecting our environment,” she said.
And for Alison Friedman — who says that a top goal for her in Congress would be to secure an “F” rating from the NRA[3] and that Ms. Comstock[4] “sold our kids’ safety” to the gun-rights group — it was her daughter’s association between President Trump and guns that helped push her into the race in the first place.
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