WASHINGTON (AP) — Gun control groups say this is the year they finally go toe-to-toe with the National Rifle Association and match their foe's imposing campaign spending for congressional candidates.
Bloomberg has pledged to spend $50 million this year to advance his gun control goals. Some of that is to support his Everytown for Gun Safety, which is focusing largely on state contests, including backing a Washington state ballot initiative to require background checks for private sales of firearms.
Bloomberg's separate political committee, Independence USA PAC, has reported no significant campaign spending since helping two Democrats win special congressional elections last year. Bloomberg has reported contributing $11.4 million since January 2013 to several committees, mostly to Independence USA.
"We tend to spend late and heavy," said Bloomberg adviser Howard Wolfson, referring to 2012, when the then-new Independence USA spent virtually all of its $8.2 million on ads in that campaign's closing days. "It's a strategy that we think is effective."
Americans for Responsible Solutions, headed by Giffords and husband Mark Kelly, the one-time astronaut, has said it will at least match the $20 million the NRA spent during the entire 2012 campaign, which included a presidential race.
Giffords and Kelly plan getting involved in at least a dozen congressional races this month, including backing incumbent Democratic senators in Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire and North Carolina.
Their group reported having $9 million in cash this summer and spending $2.5 million so far this year for candidates favoring gun control. That has included support for the re-election of both Democratic congresswomen from New Hampshire and Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, a Republican gun control backer.
They've also helped Democratic Rep. Ron Barber battle a challenge by Republican Martha McSally for Giffords' old House seat. Barber, Giffords' former chief of staff, was wounded in the 2011 mass shooting that injured her.
The group ran a TV spot featuring the crying mother of a shooting victim and that accused McSally of opposing efforts to keep stalkers from getting firearms.
"I don't think she really understands how important that is to a lot of women," the tearful woman said.
Giffords' group pulled that ad after McSally said she's always backed barring stalkers from having guns. Giffords' senior adviser Pia Carusone said they dropped the ad after McSally "changed her mind" on the issue.
More: Gun Control Groups Take On NRA Ramping Up Election Spending
Sounds like the NRA will finally have some formidable competition.
