Vulnerable GOP senators side with NRA on gun votes
WASHINGTON (AP) — Among the Senate's most vulnerable Republicans, Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey stood firmly with the powerful National Rifle Association on the latest ill-fated attempts at gun control.
Just over four months to the election, and facing pressure from their Democratic opponents, most Republican Senate incumbents opted for consistency despite the political frenzy days after the worst mass shooting in modern American history.
A lone gunman, Omar Mateen, killed 49 people and injured 53 at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, prompting fresh calls for tighter restrictions on weapons.
New Hampshire is home to some of the nation's most lenient gun laws, but Ayotte's approval rating fell after she voted against expanding background checks following the 2012 shooting at a Newtown, Connecticut elementary school.
Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy, who is running for Rubio's seat, shot back at Rubio, saying he "put his political ambition ahead of keeping Floridians safe."
Moveon.org, a liberal political action group, immediately put out a statement denouncing Tester's vote, saying it was "yet another outrageous example of how our elected officials in Congress are beholden to the NRA."