Although legislation proposing new restrictions on firearms would be a tough sell in the Republican-led House, the Democratic-controlled Senate could be almost as difficult a venue. Senate Republicans generally support gun rights. And although there will be 55 members of the Senate Democratic caucus when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, many Democrats — and both independents who caucus with the majority — will be under pressure from gun-rights advocates in their states to oppose new controls. Listed below are the dozen Senate Democrats who will be representing states carried by 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and another 10 who come from the closely contested "battleground" states. Eleven of these 22 Democrats (highlighted in blue) will be up for re-election in 2014.
Senator | State | Most recent NRA grade | Next up for re-election | State's Obama/Romney Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
Baldwin, Tammy | Wisconsin | F | 2018 | Competitive, won by Obama |
Baucus, Max | Montana | A+ | 2014 | Won by Romney |
Begich, Mark | Alaska | AQ* | 2014 | Won by Romney |
Bennet, Michael | Colorado | C+ | 2016 | Competitive, won by Obama |
Brown, Sherrod | Ohio | F | 2018 | Competitive, won by Obama |
Donnelly, Joe | Indiana | A | 2018 | Won by Romney |
Hagan, Kay | North Carolina | F | 2014 | Won by Romney |
Harkin, Tom | Iowa | F | 2014 | Competitive, won by Obama |
Heitkamp, Heidi | North Dakota | AQ* | 2018 | Won by Romney |
Johnson, Tim | South Dakota | A | 2014 | Won by Romney |
Kaine, Tim | Virginia | F | 2018 | Competitive, won by Obama |
Landrieu, Mary | Louisiana | C | 2014 | Won by Romney |
Manchin III, Joe | West Virginia | A | 2018 | Won by Romney |
McCaskill, Claire | Missouri | F | 2018 | Won by Romney |
Nelson, Bill | Florida | F | 2018 | Competitive, won by Obama |
Pryor, Mark | Arkansas | C- | 2014 | Won by Romney |
Reid, Harry | Nevada | B | 2016 | Competitive, won by Obama |
Rockefeller, Jay | West Virginia | D | 2014 | Won by Romney |
Shaheen, Jeanne | New Hampshire | F | 2014 | Competitive, won by Obama |
Tester, Jon | Montana | A- | 2018 | Won by Romney |
Udall, Mark | Colorado | C- | 2014 | Competitive, won by Obama |
Warner, Mark | Virginia | A | 2014 | Competitive, won by Obama |
*Received a qualified "A" rating based on response to an NRA survey while a candidate for the Senate. Not based on any legislative record.
SOURCE: NRA ratings compiled by Project VoteSmart and supplemented by news reports. They are the most recent available ratings.