Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control group co-founded by billionaire Mike Bloomberg, recently launched a $1 million ad campaign against Minnesota Senate Republicans.
The Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund said it plans to spend roughly $400,000 to run “digital video, radio and static ads,” and $600,000 to send candidate-specific direct mailers to voters in key Senate districts.
“For years now, Republican leaders in Minnesota’s Senate have chosen to put gun lobby interests ahead of public safety, but now the choice lies with the people,” John Feinblatt, head of Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a press release issued in late September. “Everytown is going all out to help voters hold gun lobby lawmakers accountable for their refusal to pass common sense laws to keep our families safe.”
Republicans currently hold a 35-32 majority in the Senate — the only branch of state government they control — but are at risk of losing their majority in November.
Everytown for Gun Safety is targeting five vulnerable Republicans in its direct-mail campaign, including Sens. Jerry Relph, David Senjem, Carla Nelson, Warren Limmer and Karin Housley, according to the release.
Despite being a “gun safety” group, Everytown’s direct mailers attack Senate Republicans for allegedly eliminating “protections for people with pre-existing conditions” and supporting “a plan that would increase health care costs for Minnesotans.”
Some of its online ads lodge similar attacks against Republicans, according to screenshots obtained by Alpha News.
Nationally, two PACs connected to Everytown for Gun Safety plan to spend $60 million on the 2020 election, double what the group spent in 2018.
In addition to the Minnesota Senate, Everytown said it is targeting the Arizona State Legislature, the Iowa State House, the Pennsylvania State Legislature, the North Carolina State Legislature, and the Texas State House.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
