Gabriel Gomez, the Republican nominee in the special U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts, said Tuesday that he’d use his background as a former Navy SEAL to garner more votes from Republicans and conservative Democrats on gun legislation.
Gomez, an underdog in today’s special election against Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), said he’d have supported the amendment authored by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) that would have strengthened background checks on gun buyers. Only four Republicans backed the measure, which fizzled in the Senate in April.
Gomez has invoked his military biography extensively throughout the special election campaign and, when asked by MSNBC’s Chuck Todd about the background checks legislation, the Massachusetts Republican once again found a way to bring up his history as a former SEAL.
“You know, I’m ashamed that only four Republicans voted for the Toomey-Manchin expanded background check bill,” Gomez said. “I would be obviously one of the ones going down there to vote for that. And I have the credibility as being a former S.E.A.L. to go down there and get more Republicans on board, as well as more conservative Democrats on board.”
