Virginia’s GOP gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin won the convoluted nomination process in Virginia to earn the Republican nomination. Youngkin beat out the self-proclaimed “Trump in Heels” state Senator Amanda Chase, businessman-turned-politician Pete Snyder, and longtime delegate Kirk Cox. Even though he has won, many questions are being raised about his support for the Second Amendment.
Glenn Youngkin caught a lot of flack over his refusal to answer questionnaires sent by the National Rifle Association and the Virginia Citizens Defense League. Many pointed to this as a possible sign he may flip on the issue when it comes down to the general election.
Youngkin has claimed though that he is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment.
“I’m a gun owner, I’m a lifetime member of the NRA, & I understand what it means to protect our right to keep & bear arms. As governor, I will defend that right with every legal capacity that I have. I so fundamentally disagree with President Biden — These Amendments are absolute!” Glenn Youngkin wrote in a tweet.
I’m a gun owner, I’m a lifetime member of the NRA, & I understand what it means to protect our right to keep & bear arms. As governor, I will defend that right with every legal capacity that I have. I so fundamentally disagree with President Biden — These Amendments are absolute! pic.twitter.com/zVoMLN7QBZ
— Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) April 21, 2021
Bearing Arms writer Cam Edwards points out that Youngkin does not have a lot of information on his campaign website related to firearms policy.
From Bearing Arms:
Youngkin’s campaign website is also silent on the Second Amendment (and, to be fair, many other issues), which makes it difficult to determine where Youngkin stands on several issues important to gun owners in the commonwealth.
I have no doubt that Youngkin is more Second Amendment-friendly than any of the Democrats running for their party’s gubernatorial nomination. After all, even Terry McAuliffe, the “moderate” front-runner, has declared he’ll ban so-called assault weapons and “high capacity” magazines if he’s elected, in addition to “vowing to limit people under 21 from purchasing handguns; explore waiting periods and permits for gun purchases; ban people from openly carrying firearms in certain public spaces” and making it a crime to transfer a firearm to anyone without first putting them through a background check.
Still, as a voter and Second Amendment activist, I’d like to know more about where Youngkin comes down on issues like Constitutional Carry, Virginia’s Second Amendment Sanctuary movement, and the potential repeal of the gun control restrictions enacted by Democrats in the state in 2020 and 2021.
I’d also like to know if Youngkin is prepared to take the fight over the Second Amendment to Democrats. Is he going to call out the party for proclaiming themselves the champions of “criminal justice reform” while also demanding the invention of new, non-violent, possessory firearm offenses out of our right to keep and bear arms? Will he challenge Democrats like Terry McAuliffe who want to restore the voting rights of felons while leaving them prohibited from exercising their Second Amendment rights?
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