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A few weeks ago seven of the eight incumbent Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates who lost their seat to a Republican had one other thing in common - a lower National Rifle Association (NRA) rating that their opponent. And the eighth lost to a candidate with an equivalent gun rights rating. See previous coverage here.
As a result, the House of Delegates has become more pro-gun while the disparity in support for gun rights between the parties seems to have sharpened.
2010 Virginia House of Delegates' NRA Ratings
| 2009 NRA Rating | Democrats | Republicans | Independants | Total |
| A | 7 | 53 | 2 | 62 |
| B | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| C | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
| D | 4 | 4 | ||
| F | 20 | 20 | ||
| ? | 4 | 4 | ||
| Totals | 39 | 59 | 2 | 100 |
See breakdown by Delegate as tabulated by the Virginia Citizens Defense League here.
Asks David Adams, President of the NRA affiliated Virginia Shooting Sports Association (VSSA),
"when will Democrats running in competitive suburban and urban districts learn that running on gun control is a loser? After Mark Warner won statewide and signed every pro-gun bill put on his desk, and Jim Webb ran as a pro-gun candidate and pushed pro gun legislation in congress, you would think that Democrats would get the message that being pro-gun can win elections."
Some Democrats contend that the NRA unfairly leans Republican when it rates candidates and makes endorsements. Democratic operative Marc Greidinger of Springfield, VA recalls the NRA conveniently "losing" Jim Webb's very pro-gun survey when Webb was running against Senator George Allen in 2006. But Adams disagrees, noting that Delegate Kenneth "Kenny" Alexander (D - Norfolk) "was rated a C candidate by the NRA in 2005 and 2007" but by 2009 Alexander's rating rose to an A based on his votes for bills to repeal the ban on concealed carry in restaurants serving alcohol and to liberalize gun carry rights in vehicles.
Democratic Delegates will soon have a chance to work on their NRA rating. Gun rights organizers widely expect bills to repeal the ban on concealed carry in restaurants serving alcohol as well as to repeal Virginia's nearly unique "one handgun a month" gun purchase rationing law to reach the House floor. Additionally, Democrats assigned by the Speaker to sit on the House Militia, Police, and Public Safety Committee will likely get to cast votes on the perennial bill to ban private gun sales at gun shows.
These votes will be watched closely and recorded. Stay tuned.
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