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Rep. Chris Jacobs of New York announced he was ending his re-election bid, just days after saying he would support a ban on assault weapons.
A New York Republican who was endorsed by the National Rife Association just two years ago announced Friday he would no longer seek re-election, saying his recent support for gun control had effectively eliminated any chance of winning the GOP primary.
Rep. Chris Jacobs publicly bucked his party last week when he said he would back an assault weapons ban bill if it came to the House floor for a vote. On Friday, he said that new stance had cost him his political career in the Republican Party.
“If you stray from a party position, you are annihilated,” Jacobs said. “For the Republicans, it became pretty apparent to me over the last week that that issue is gun control — any gun control.”
Jacobs, whose congressional district includes Buffalo suburbs, said he intends to support a legislative gun package that was advanced by the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. It is slated for a floor vote next week.
The legislative package also includes raising the age to buy a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21, a provision Jacobs said was “perfectly reasonable.
Donald Trump Jr. accused him of caving to “gun-grabbers,” while others called him a “RINO,” an acronym for Republican In Name Only.
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Article URL : https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/gop-lawmaker-calls-quits-annihilated-backing-gun-control-rcna31922