AZ: Gun Control Loses in Arizona Dem Primary Race

Mary Rose Wilcox is a career politician from Phoenix' South side who runs a Democrat political machine that has been compared to Daley's in Chicago.  She was running in the Democrat primary for a congressional seat in the deep blue safe seventh district of Arizona, one of the few Arizona districts that is safe for Democrat candidates.   She had name recognition, organization, and money on her side.   She decided to differentiate herself from her main opposition, Ruben Gallego, by being more willing to chip away at second amendment rights.

Gallego is rated by the NRA as a B+, hardly much of a distinction in Arizona.   Wilcox seemed to think that pushing for severe restrictions on peoples' ability to keep and carry firearms would work for her.   From Mother Jones:

Wilcox, who was shot in the hip in 1997 by an angry constituent, has kept gun control front and center during the campaign, although not always successfully. She brought up Gallego's vote at a recent debate; in June, her husband, Earl, confronted Gallego at a gun control rally, alleging that he was a "traitor to the cause." Gallego, a former NRA member, has said he brought a handgun to work at the state capitol after receiving threats, but supports a ban on assault rifles and the county buyback program Wilcox helped to start.

Wilcox is not known for subtlety.   Many have attributed the fact that she was shot directly to her corruption.    In any case, her anti-rights attacks on Gallego did not work.   She lost the primary yesterday, 26 August, with 36% of the vote.   Her major opponent, Gallego, won with 48%.   Interesting enough, in this hotly contested election, which essentially decided who will be representing the "safe seventh" district, likely for the rest of their career, only 24,189 people voted.

Being for restrictive gun control did not work for Mary Rose Wilcox.   Being perceived as a modestly pro gun rights candidate worked for Ruben Gallego.

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