New York GOP congressman ends reelection bid after backlash over his support for gun control legislation

Chris Jacobs, a Republican from New York, said on Friday that he was ending his reelection bid because of backlash from conservatives over his support for gun control legislation.

Jacobs, a Republican who represents a congressional district anchored in suburban Buffalo, said recently that his break from the GOP's stance against gun control was due to forging solutions.

The congressman said last week that he couldn't sit back and say he didn't try to do anything after the deadly attack in his region where an 18-year-old shooter killed 10 Black shoppers in a racially motivated attack. I'd vote for an assault weapons ban bill if it came to the floor.

Jacobs explained why he would be leaving congress at the end of his term.

He said that there was a problem with both of the major parties. You are destroyed if you stray from the party line.

The issue of gun control became apparent to him over the last week. Any control of firearms.

Jacobs, a former New York secretary of state and state senator who since July 2020 has represented the 27th congressional district, said during a Friday press conference that he didn't want to see a negative campaign that would distort the issue.

He said that the election would be divisive for both the Republicans and the people of the 23rd District. A negative half-truth filled media attack funded by millions of dollars of special interest money coming into our community around this issue of guns and gun violence and gun control is not something we need.

His announcement last week that he would support raising the minimum age to purchase a rifle and limiting the capacity of magazines caused a huge uproar among his fellow Republicans.

The chairman of the New York State Republican Committee was a critic of Jacobs. Langworthy could be a candidate in the GOP primary.

The GOP leader said a lot of people are looking for solutions. I hope that we could come up with some bipartisan solutions.

The GOP's gubernatorial nominee against Andrew Cuomo in 2010 threw his hat in the ring for the congressional seat on Friday with the support of House Republican Conference Chair.