Missouri – -(AmmoLand.com)- In the Show-Me State, Second Amendment supporters have a lot of good options when it comes to the race to replace Senator Roy Blunt, who compiled a solid pro-Second Amendment record in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.
Three candidates are front-runners, former governor Eric Greitens, current attorney general Eric Schmitt, and current representative Vicky Hartzler. Both Schmitt and Greitens have won statewide races in Missouri, while Hartzler represents a rural congressional district. All three have solid records (at worst) when it comes to supporting our Second Amendment rights.
Given the current political climate, this seat is likely to be held barring something completely out of left field. So, how should Second Amendment supporters vote when you have multiple pro-Second Amendment candidates in a primary? In this case, Second Amendment supporters can look to outside issues, like education, taxes, etc., and pick a candidate who matches their views on those issues.
However, Second Amendment supporters have to look at a bigger picture when it comes to Congress. There are 435 House seats up for grabs. Then there are 35 Senate seats up for grabs. Resources for political campaigns are limited, so it’s time to think about strategic considerations. This would include asking, “Who is the candidate that can win this seat with the least amount of effort?”
Being on the right side of an election that is likely to go your way can give Second Amendment supporters a lot of room for error. But given calls to pack the Supreme Court and the general hostility the Biden-Harris regime has for our rights, do we want to gamble in what is a favorable political climate? It makes sense to rack up as many easy wins as possible, so that resources can be focused on swing districts.
Second Amendment supporters got burned ten years ago when Todd Akin won the primary, then made an incredibly stupid statement on an unrelated issue that gave anti-Second Amendment extremist Claire McCaskill six more years, running over 14 points behind Mitt Romney. That situation could happen again.
Greitens, as some may recall, was forced to resign as governor of Missouri after he was indicted by Kim Gardner, the top prosecutor in St. Louis. The case fell apart as apparent abuses by Gardner, who also targeted the McCloskeys, came to light.
Second Amendment supporters have every right to feel sympathy for Greitens facing an abuse of power. But at the same time, his messy personal life gave Gardner the opportunity to target him, and there’s a good chance it could force Second Amendment supporters to spend more resources to defend a seat Hartzler or Schmitt would win in a landslide.
If we are to preserve our rights, Second Amendment supporters need to defeat anti-Second Amendment extremists at the federal, state, and local levels as much as possible, and with as much room to spare as possible. They need to select their general election candidates accordingly.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.