FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 16, 2022
GLENS FALLS, NY – The NRA Political Victory Fund has announced that Congresswoman Elise Stefanik once again earned an “A+” rating, giving her the highest rating in the New York Congressional Delegation. Far Left Downstate Democrat from Poughkeepsie Matt Castelli has received an “F” rating because of his support for radical Far Left Democrats’ gun-grabbing agenda.
Both the NRA and New York State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA) have endorsed Congresswoman Stefanik again for re-election.
“I have known Elise since she first ran for Congress, and law-abiding gun owners in Upstate New York and the North Country could not have a better representative and fighter for our Second Amendment rights in Congress,” said Tom King, Executive Director of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association. “Elise has always kept her promise to Upstate New York and North Country voters to fight to protect and uphold the United States Constitution. She is one of New York’s strongest defenders of the Second Amendment in Congress, and she has once again earned an A+ rating for going above and beyond to protect our Second Amendment rights. Elise has consistently led the fight in Congress against Far Left Democrats’ radical gun-grabbing agenda and has earned our full support. Meanwhile, Far Left Democrat Matt Castelli’s F rating and support for a gun ban shows that he is a clear and present danger to the rights of all North Country and Upstate New York’s law-abiding gun owners. This Far Left Downstate Democrat who is endorsed by Gun Grabbing Kathy Hochul can’t be trusted to protect our constitutional rights. NY-21 voters must re-elect Congresswoman Stefanik so that she can continue to defend our Second Amendment against the radical Far Left’s assault on our Constitution, and I look forward to working hard in the coming weeks to make sure that Elise is re-elected by another historic margin this November.”
“My opponent, a Far Left Downstate Democrat from Poughkeepsie, has earned an F rating from the NRA — tying the lowest rating in Upstate New York and North Country history,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “Even Democrat Bill Owen, who this Far Left Downstate Democrat from Poughkeepsie, attempts to model himself after, earned an A rating because he understood how important the Second Amendment is to our district. This is just another example of how embarrassingly out of touch this Far Left Downstate Democrat from Poughkeepsie is with the values of Upstate New York and the North Country.”
Far Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli’s History Of Standing Against The Second Amendment:
- Castelli wholeheartedly supported recent gun legislation that was signed into law by Joe Biden, which made gun owners second-class citizens. Castelli called this legislation a “common sense solution.”
- Castelli said that he supported “robust red flag” laws during an interview withNorth Country Public Radioon August 19, 2022.
- Red flag laws take away due process rights and will have no effect on deterring criminals who do not follow the law when obtaining firearms.
- On August 1, 2022, Matt Castelli said that he would look at an assault weapons ban in Congress when asked during an interview withNCPR.
- QUESTION: “Do you support an assault rifle ban?”
- CASTELLI: “I am happy to look at any kind of legislation. I think we need, those of us who support the second amendment and lawful gun owners, at the table when we’re talking about reducing gun violence in our communities and I think the best way we do that is really focusing on any firearm being kept out of the hands of someone who is going to do themselves and others harm.”
- Matt Castelli has continued to dodge whether he supports an assault weapons ban. From an August 5, 2022,Post Starreport:
- “Castelli’s campaign did not respond to two subsequent requests on Wednesday and Thursday for Castelli to answer specifically whether he would have voted in favor of the legislation, which all but five House Democrats voted for.”
- On June 11, 2022, Castelli said he was “proud to join” a #MarchForOurLives event in Potsdam andSaranac Lake.
- The organization March For Our Lives,which organized the events Castelli attended, fully supports an assault weapons ban and various other anti-Second Amendment policies, including a national gun registry.
- According to theMarch For Our Lives website, they support “a national licensing and registry system that promotes responsible gun ownership; a ban on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and other weapons of war; policies to disarm gun owners who pose a harm risk; and a national gun buy-back program to reduce the estimated 265–393 million firearms in circulation by at least 30%.”
