Photo: Center for American Progress/Flickr
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg scored a huge political victory when Robin Kelly won the Democratic nomination in the race for Illinois’ 2nd congressional district. Kelly, a strong gun control supporter, defeated “gun rights” advocate Debbie Halverson with the help of more than $2.2 million in spending from Bloomberg’s new SuperPAC, Independence USA PAC.
Bloomberg, who has a net worth of around $22 billion, has vowed to use his personal fortune to support gun safety advocates and oppose “gun rights” candidates in elections across the country. Here are six candidates whom Independence USA PAC could potentially target in the 2014 elections:
Representative Bill Owens (D-NY)
Owens, who represents New York’s 21st district, would be a prime target for Independence USA PAC. Owens’ district is reliably blue, having supported the Democrat by double digits in each of the past five presidential elections, and Owens’ A+ rating from the NRA could leave him vulnerable to a primary challenge.
Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO)
Coffman, who earned an A rating from the NRA, won re-election in 2012 by just 3 percent over Democratic challenger Joe Miklosi. If a pro-gun control Democrat challenges Coffman in 2014, expect Independence USA PAC to lend a financial hand.
Representative Daniel Webster (R-FL)
Webster, who earned an A rating from the NRA, narrowly won re-election in 2012 in one of the closest House races in the country — making him a likely focus of Bloomberg’s PAC.
Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
Cuellar represents Texas’ 28th Congressional District, which was turned deep blue by redistricting in 2012. Due to Cuellar’s status as one of the few remaining Blue Dog Democrats, he may be vulnerable to a primary challenge in 2014; due to his A rating from the NRA, Independence USA PAC could back his opponent.
Representative William Enyart (D-IL)
Enyart, who holds an A rating from the NRA, represents the reliably blue Illinois 12th congressional district. After co-sponsoring the “No Budget, No Pay Act,” he is a could face a challenge from the left — and his opponent could easily win Bloomberg’s financial support.
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, is arguably the least popular senator in America. If his 2014 re-election campaign is as close as expected, look for Bloomberg to weigh in against McConnell and his A+ rating from the NRA.
