New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) may throw the weight of his gun control group Mayors Against Illegal Guns into the Virginia governor’s race, according to a report in TIME magazine on Thursday.
The TIME cover story said that Bloomberg is considering whether to “sink more money into the Virginia governor’s race this year to support the candidate more in favor of gun control.” Democrat Terry McAuliffe has voiced support for strengthening background checks, while his opponent, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), has taken a pro-gun position.
If Mayors Against Illegal Guns does jump into the race, it will join Americans for Responsible Solutions, the gun control group run by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). Americans for Responsible Solutions has reportedly sought to counter the National Rifle Association’s $500,000 ad campaign against McAuliffe over his stances on gun restrictions. McAuliffe supports universal background checks and limiting the size of ammunition magazines.
In the same interview, Bloomberg also indicated that he’s considering a major spending push in Arkansas to defeat Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) for voting against a bill that would have expanded background checks for gun purchases. That legislation failed to pass in April.
