Candidates' positions are categorized as Pro (Yes), Con (No), Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found.
Candidates who have changed their positions are listed as Now their most recent position.
(Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by party; black & white photos indicate candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria.)
Chuck Baldwin, Founder and Minister of the Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL, issued the following statement through his Communications Director, Mary Starrett, in an Aug. 11, 2008 email to ProCon.org:
"We oppose attempts to prohibit ownership of guns by law-abiding citizens, and stand against all laws which would require the registration of guns or ammunition... We call for the repeal of all federal firearms legislation, beginning with Federal Firearms Act of 1968." Aug. 11, 2008 Chuck Baldwin
Bob Barr, former US House Representative (R-GA), stated in an article titled "Bob Barr on: the Second Amendment" on his official candidate website (accessed Aug. 6, 2008):
"I oppose any law requiring registration of, or restricting the ownership, manufacture, or transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition to law-abiding citizens." Aug. 6, 2008 Bob Barr
John McCain, US Senator (R-AZ), issued the following statement in an article titled "On the Issues: Protecting Second Amendment Rights" on his official campaign website (accessed Nov. 29, 2007):
"John McCain believes that the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a fundamental, individual Constitutional right that we have a sacred duty to protect. We have a responsibility to ensure that criminals who violate the law are prosecuted to the fullest, rather than restricting the rights of law abiding citizens. Gun control is a proven failure in fighting crime. Law abiding citizens should not be asked to give up their rights because of criminals - criminals who ignore gun control laws anyway...
John McCain believes that banning ammunition is just another way to undermine Second Amendment rights. He voted against an amendment that would have banned many of the most commonly used hunting cartridges on the spurious grounds that they were 'armor-piercing.'" Nov. 29, 2007 John McCain
Cynthia McKinney, former US House Representative (D-GA), issued the following statement through her Press Secretary, John Judge, in a Nov. 1, 2008 email to ProCon.org:
"No, what is needed is commitment to nonviolence, building safe and healthy communities, and an end to militarization and systemic brutalization and spread of weapons in the culture." Nov. 1, 2008 Cynthia McKinney
Ralph Nader, attorney, author, and political activist, stated in a June 24, 2000 interview titled "Nader Q and A," posted on the Scripps Howard News Service website:
"First of all, you have two constituencies that have rights. You have people who are killed or injured with guns and you have law-abiding people who want to use certain kinds of guns for self-defense. How do you blend the two? First of all, make sure the weapons are designed safely with trigger locks. ... Two, strong law enforcement so that they're not falling into the hands of the criminal element. Three, you look at a weapon the way you look at a car. You've got to know how to handle it. You should be licensed. ... And four, there are certain weapons that should be banned. If you do all that, both interests will be protected." June 24, 2000 Ralph Nader
Barack Obama, US Senator (D-IL), in a Feb. 12, 2008 interview transcription titled "Full Text: Obama Interview" on Politico.com, stated:
"Because I think we have two conflicting traditions in this country. I think it's important for us to recognize that we've got a tradition of handgun ownership and gun ownership generally. And a lot of people - law-abiding citizens use if for hunting, for sportsmanship, and for protecting their families. We also have a violence on the streets that is the result of illegal handgun usage. And so I think there is nothing wrong with a community saying we are going to take those illegal handguns off the streets, we are going to trace more effectively, how these guns are ending up on the streets, to unscrupulous gun dealers, who often times are selling to straw purchasers. And cracking down on the various loopholes that exist in terms of background checks for children, the mentally ill. Those are all approaches that I think the average gun owner would actually support. The problem is, that we've got a position, often times by the NRA [National Rifle Association] that says any regulation whatsoever is the camel's nose under the tent. And that, I think, is not where the American people are at. We can have reasonable, thoughtful gun control measure that I think respect the Second Amendment and people's traditions." Feb. 12, 2008 Barack Obama
INACTIVE CANDIDATES
(Candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria appear
below in black and white and in alphabetical order by party.)
Joe Biden, US Senator (D-DE), stated in an Apr. 27, 2007 broadcast of Iowa Press on Iowa Public Television:
"I oppose registration. I oppose a lot of the - there is a Second Amendment and it's real. The question is, though, there are certain things that I have strongly supported: eliminating cop killer bullets, assault weapons, the dealing with the ability to have multiple rounds in a gun...I don't view that as any infringement on the Second Amendment...
...[Y]ou have others in our party who believe very strongly that if they could they'd legislate no hand guns under any circumstances. They'd legislate restrictions and registration, which I do not support." Apr. 27, 2007 Joe Biden
Hillary Clinton, US Senator (D-NY), in the Apr. 26, 2007 Democratic Presidential Debate in Charleston, SC :
"...I remember very well when I accompanied Bill to Columbine after that massacre and met with the family members of those who had been killed and talked with the students, and feeling that we had to do more to try to keep guns out of the hands of the criminal and of the mentally unstable.
And during the Clinton administration, that was a goal -- not to, in any way, violate people's Second Amendment rights, but to try to limit access to people who should not have guns." Apr. 26, 2007 Hillary Clinton
Chris Dodd, US Senator (D-CT), issued the following statement in an article titled "Biography of Senator Christopher J. Dodd" on his US Senate website (accessed Nov. 21, 2007):
"[Dodd] supported the Brady Bill, which imposed a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases, and supported the ban on deadly assault weapons. He authored a bill requiring safety locks on guns and supported legislation to prevent anyone convicted of domestic violence from owning a gun." Nov. 21, 2007 Chris Dodd
John Edwards, former US Senator (D-NC), stated in an Apr. 22, 2007 Radio Iowa article titled "Clinton, Edwards, Obama on Gun Control":
"...I believe in the Second Amendment and I think it's important for hunters rights to be protected and it's part of my culture and the way I grew up, but I don't think you need an AK-47 to hunt and I think there are a number of things that we can do including a renewal of the assault weapons ban, closing the gun show loophole so that we make sure that we have the information that we need. I would add to that that in light of what's happened at Virginia Tech that we need to do a better job of making sure the registry that's used for the instant check includes people who've had a history of some mental problems because it's a spotted history but there was certainly some history about this gunman." Apr. 22, 2007 John Edwards
Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City, stated at the Nov. 28, 2007 Republican Presidential Debate in St. Petersburg, FL:
"[W]e have to be very aggressive about enforcing the gun laws that exist...
As far as that's concerned, what I believe is, the Second Amendment gives people an individual right to keep and to bear arms. Government can impose reasonable regulations...
Generally, those reasonable regulations would be about criminal background, background of mental instability, basically the ones that are outlined in the opinion of the judge who wrote the Parker decision, Judge Silverman. And if those regulations go beyond that, then those are unconstitutional.
I think states can have a little bit of leeway. New York could have a somewhat stricter rule than, let's say, Kentucky. Texas might have different rules than Ohio. But generally, you've got to comply with this rule...
And people will be allowed to have guns. I'm not going to interfere with that. Generally, decisions are going to be made on a state basis. And they're going to have to comply with the Constitution." Nov. 28, 2007 >Rudy Giuliani
Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, stated in an article titled "Issues: 2nd Amendment Rights" on his official campaign website (accessed Nov. 30, 2007):
"The Second Amendment is primarily about tyranny and self-defense, not hunting. The Founding Fathers wanted us to be able to defend ourselves from our own government, if need be, and from all threats to our lives and property.
Second Amendment rights belong to individuals, not cities or states. I oppose gun control based on geography.
I consistently opposed banning assault weapons and opposed the Brady Bill." Nov. 30, 2007 Mike Huckabee
Duncan Hunter, US Representative (R-CA), in an article titled "Core Principles: Second Amendment" on his official campaign website (accessed Nov. 28, 2007), stated:
"It seems every election year, some liberal politician dons an NRA cap and grabs a shotgun for a hunting photo-op, as if that means they support our right as Americans to keep and bear arms. I, myself, thoroughly enjoy hunting, having just recently spent a great weekend hunting elk in Arizona. But, the Second Amendment is not about hunting. It is about the right of you and me to be secure in our homes. We must vigorously defend against all attempts to chip away at the Second Amendment. You know as well as I do that there is one thing criminals prefer over any other: unarmed victims." Nov. 28, 2007 Duncan Hunter
Daniel Imperato, an Independent candidate and business entrepreneur, issued the following statement through his press secretary, Joseph Oddo, in a Nov. 30, 2007 email to ProCon.org:
"There are already enough regulations on guns except regarding the assault weapons. In the modern context of the type of aggressive high grade weapons that are available, we should be concerned with allowing assault weapon distribution to proliferate. We need to enforce the laws that are in place now." Nov. 30, 2007 Daniel Imperato
Alan Keyes, former Assistant US Secretary of State, stated in the Oct. 21, 2004 US Senate Debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Illinois:
"The gun control mentality is ruthlessly absurd. It suggests that you pass a law which will bind law-abiding citizens. They won't have access to weapons. Now, we know that criminals, by definition, are people who don't obey laws. Therefore, you can pass all the laws that you want. They will still have access to these weapons, just as they have access to illegal drugs and other things right now. That means you end up with a situation in which the law-abiding folks can't defend themselves, and the crooks have all the guns...
The answer to crime is not gun control, it is law enforcement and self-control. And when we remember that, we will see the rates of crime go down in Chicago, and everywhere else."
Oct. 21, 2004 Alan Keyes
Steve Kubby, a Libertarian candidate and founder of the American Medical Marijuana Association, stated in a Nov. 9, 2007 email to ProCon.org:
"No. In fact, quite the opposite. The Second Amendment is clear -- 'the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.' This is not a murky issue. The 20,000+ US 'gun control' laws are not only blatantly unconstitution, but have proven themselves utterly ineffective in reducing violent crime. It's time to repeal them." Nov. 9, 2007 Steve Kubby
Dennis Kucinich, US Representative (D-OH), stated in an article titled "Gun Laws, Gun Rights & Violence" on www.kucinichforcongress.com (accessed Nov. 21, 2007):
"My efforts to lead the fight against assault weapons have been highly recognized by The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. One year after the DC-area sniper attacks, I co-signed a bill, H.R. 2038, to renew and strengthen the federal assault weapons ban. I also attended a recent Save Our Sons and Daughters (SOSAD) event.
While some believe that gun laws should reside at the state level, I respectfully disagree. In this mobile society, national control of guns just is necessary, just as it is with pollution. It is the right of Americans to keep and bear arms; however it is not the right of American felons to arm themselves. In a time when homeland security is of utmost concern, it is perplexing why anyone would not wish to keep guns out of the hands of those who might do us harm. This is why I would support legislation to require background checks, identical to the background checks currently required for transfers by licensed gun dealers, for firearm transfers by unlicensed gun dealers at gun shows. Sensible laws to prevent guns from winding up in the wrong hands do not infringe on any constitutional rights." Nov. 21, 2007 Dennis Kucinich
Frank McEnulty, an Independent candidate and President of Our Castle Homes, in a Nov. 13, 2007 email to ProCon.org, stated:
"Although the Federal Government has instituted several nationwide gun laws, I believe that further gun control or ownership issues are more properly addressed on the state and local level. It is up to the individual states to establish the laws that they feel are fair and necessary concerning the ownership and use of guns. As an outdoorsman, hunter and recreational shooter, I do not see guns as inherently evil and believe that further action by the Federal Government to restrict gun ownership is not necessary." Nov. 13, 2007 Frank McEnulty
Ron Paul, US Representative (R-TX), stated in an article titled "Issues: Second Amendment" on his official campaign website (accessed Nov. 30, 2007):
"I share our Founders' belief that in a free society each citizen must have the right to keep and bear arms. They ratified the Second Amendment knowing that this right is the guardian of every other right, and they all would be horrified by the proliferation of unconstitutional legislation that prevents law-abiding Americans from exercising this right.
I have always supported the Second Amendment and these are some of the bills I have introduced in the current Congress to help restore respect for it:
H.R. 1096 includes provisions repealing the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the Federal Firearms License Reform Act of 1993, two invasive and unconstitutional bills.
H.R. 1897 would end the ban on carrying a firearm in the National Park System, restoring Americans' ability to protect themselves in potentially hazardous situations.
H.R. 3305 would allow pilots and specially assigned law enforcement personnel to carry firearms in order to protect airline passengers, possibly preventing future 9/11-style attacks.
H.R. 1146 would end our membership in the United Nations, protecting us from their attempts to tax our guns or disarm us entirely.
In the past, I introduced legislation to repeal the so-called 'assault weapons' ban before its 2004 sunset, and I will oppose any attempts to reinstate it.
I also recently opposed H.R. 2640, which would allow government-appointed psychiatrists to ban US veterans experiencing even mild forms of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome from ever owning a gun.
You have the right to protect your life, liberty, and property. As President, I will continue to guard the liberties stated in the Second Amendment." Nov. 30, 2007Ron Paul
Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, stated in an Aug. 31, 2007 New Hampshire Public Radio article titled "Richardson on Gun Control and School Reform":
"Full disclosure, my rating from the NRA is 'A'. I'm a westerner, I'm a hunter. Now, I believe, I've always believed, that the key to dealing with violence, senseless violence, is instant background checks, including at gun shows. Now, am I for uzis? No. But do I believe that the solution to every crime is to take the sportsman weapons from people? No... Would I take any initiatives for gun control? No." Aug. 31, 2007 Bill Richardson
Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, stated in a Dec. 30, 2007 press release titled "The Real Romney Record: Setting The Record Straight About Governor Romney's Record" on his official campaign website:
"When it comes to protecting the Second Amendment, I do not support any new gun laws including any new ban on semi-automatic firearms. As President, I will follow President Bush's precedent of opposing any laws that go beyond the restrictions in place when I take office. The laws I do and will support include decades-old restrictions on weapons of unusual lethality like grenades, rocket launchers, fully automatic firearms and what are legally known as destructive devices and would include similar restrictions on new and exotic weapons of similar or even greater lethality. I am proud of my record of defending life and the Second Amendment." Dec. 30, 2007 Mitt Romney
Christine Smith, a Libertarian candidate and founder of Dreams of Freedom, Inc., stated in a Dec. 5, 2007 email to ProCon.org:
"No. I oppose gun control laws. I will restore your right to self-defense. Your right to bear arms is not negotiable.'Gun control' laws only restrict law-abiding people, they do not make people safer. Criminals can always obtain their guns and they will ignore gun bans.Federal gun regulations simply result in victim disarmament. We must have strong laws and enforce them against the perpetrators of violent crime, not the tool they use.
Fundamentally and most important, private firearm ownership is the our ultimate insurance against tyranny. The biggest threat to our freedom lies with the federal government abrogating liberties--with the most critical being our right to firearm ownership.
As Noah Webster stated: 'Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States.'" Dec. 5, 2007 Christine Smith
[Note: Emphasis added by Christine Smith and not by ProCon.org]
Tom Tancredo, US Representative (R-CO), in an article titled "On the Issues" on his official candidate website (accessed Dec. 3, 2007), stated:
"I fully and completely support the right of the people to keep and bear arms. The failure of the ACLU to defend this right, and of federal courts to make the second amendment binding on the states, as they have made the first amendment and most others, testifies to their intellectual hypocrisy." Dec. 3, 2007 Tom Tancredo
Fred Thompson, former US Senator (R-TN), stated in an article titled "Issues" on his official campaign website (accessed Nov. 29, 2007):
"I strongly support the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms. Gun control is touted as a major crime-control measure. But some of the places with the strictest gun-control laws also have high violent-crime rates. Disarming law-abiding citizens does not prevent crime. The answer to violent crime is smart, effective, and aggressive law enforcement. The real effect of these gun-control measures is to place onerous restrictions on law-abiding citizens who use firearms for such legal activities as self-defense, sport-shooting, hunting, and collecting." Nov. 29, 2007 Fred Thompson
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