Former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson (D-IL), considered by many to be the current front-runner in the race to replace Jesse Jackson, Jr. in Congress, has come under tremendous attack from the left for her pro-Second Amendment stance in the current gun control debate.
Halvorson holds an “A” rating from the NRA; she said she would not vote to ban AR-15 rifles and opposes a so-called “assault weapons ban.”
I spoke to Ms. Halvorson this past Saturday after a non-partisan candidate forum in the southern, rural end of the 2nd district in Peotone, IL.
Halvorson said New York Mayor Bloomberg’s PACs have spent over $800,000 so far on attack ads airing across the Chicagoland area. In response to the ads, Halvorson told Breitbart news:
With 16 candidates in the race, I call myself the voice of reason, I’m more of a centrist, and obviously I’m getting some great name I.D. right now.
There’s a commercial that everybody knows about, that runs, I think every seven minutes. The mayor of New York (Michael Bloomberg), Mr. Nanny State himself, is trying to come into Illinois and buy himself a seat, and I feel it’s backfired on him. Because, everywhere I go now, I’m swarmed by many many people who are saying ‘you’ve got my vote.'”
Halvorson is the only candidate in the Democrat field who finds herself siding with Republican candidates. She explained:
The candidates in this [Democrat primary] race, obviously… don’t understand the district. I ran against Jesse Jr., in the [2012] primary, I had seven month to travel every road… and every town in this district, and they are missing the point. African-Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics, many have told me they believe in their right to own and bear arms… I believe in law abiding citizens having their rights, and I refuse to support another law until we figure out how to go after the criminals.
The special election primary will take place on February 26, 2013. Halvorson lost the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune to Robin Kelly, who is thought by many to be the favorite of President Obama and the Chicago political machine.
The winner will most likely go on to face Republicans Paul McKinley or Dr. Eric Wallace (also endorsed by the Trib), who have emerged as the front-runners in the GOP field among voters Breitbart News has interviewed.
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