For Democrats, particularly those running in red states, gun control used to be a no-win political issue. But after a string of deadly mass shootings — notably at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in February and most recently, at a synagogue in Pittsburgh — Democrats are touting their pro-gun control credentials, even in conservative districts.
“For many years, it was the third rail of politics,” said Jim Manley, a longtime Democratic strategist who spent 21 years working in the U.S. Senate. “What I find fascinating this year is that supporting gun control isn’t hurting many people.”
According to a Reuters analysis of candidates’ campaign websites, 38 of the 59 Democrats running in “vulnerable” Republican districts for House seats — or seats that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has deemed flippable — have made gun control part of their official platform.
