Renacci targets DeWine

Like any committed career politician, Mike DeWine is playing games of deception with Ohioans and their safety simply to win another election and add to his over four decades in office.Using insider gimmicks, posing at gun shows and, ironically, retweeting the National Rifle Association, DeWine is hoping to conceal his abysmal record on gun rights. Receiving an "F" rating from the NRA during his time as a U.S. senator, DeWine has been so opposed to 2nd Amendment rights that the NRA even threatened to endorse a Democrat over him in his 2006 re-election.Ohioans deserve a Governor who is not going to play games with their safety and will fight for their constitutional right to bear arms to protect themselves and their loved ones.Having received an "A" rating from the NRA three times and been consistently endorsed by Ohioans for Concealed Carry and the NRA, I have always been a strong defender of gun rights.And as a life member of the NRA, I have always been an avid gun owner but it was the day my children were born that I became a concealed carry permit holder. Experiencing the simultaneous joy and doubt that every new parent goes through, my concern became protecting my growing family.Like I did as a new parent, a majority of Americans turn to their 2nd Amendment right when concerned with the welfare and safety of themselves or their loved ones. The #1 reason people cite for owning a firearm is self-defense. And whether you're a new parent or living on your own for the first time, you should always have the ability to exercise your right to protect yourself against those who wish to do you harm.I am a firm believer that to deter people looking to use guns for acts of violence, law-abiding citizens should be allowed to fully exercise their rights to carry. If it had not been for two heroic good Samaritans stepping up to protect their community and ending the shooter's spree, the horrific shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX would have only been that much more devastating.As gun ownership has increased over the years, statistics have shown that violent crime has dramatically decreased during that same time. The Bureau of Justice Statistics released a study last year that showed violent crime has taken a 77 percent nosedive since 1993, while gun ownership has increased steadily with household increases.Evidenced by the steady increase of gun ownership, people continue to be concerned with their safety and that of their loved ones. Yet their ability to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms is restricted within the borders of the state that issued the original permit.Just as your 1st Amendment right to free speech does not change from one state to another, neither should an individual's ability to exercise their 2nd Amendment right. Our fundamental rights don't stop at a state's borders and law-abiding citizens should be able to exercise this right when crossing state lines.In Congress, I have led the fight to protect gun owners and defend our constitutional rights. I am currently a co-sponsor of legislation to ensure that law-abiding Americans who are already qualified to carry a concealed firearm in one state can also carry in other states that allow their own residents to do so.I have also co-sponsored legislation to eliminate the $200 transfer tax associated with silencers and to treat any person who acquires or possesses a firearm silencer as meeting registration and licensing requirements under the National Firearms Act.Earlier this year, I supported and voted for legislation that President Donald Trump signed into law that would reverse a rule stripping Americans of their due process rights by requiring individuals to prove after the fact that they should not have their constitutional right to the 2nd Amendment stripped.As Governor of Ohio, I will stand up against any efforts to restrict or diminish the constitutional right to bear arms and will continue to promote the safety of Ohioans and 2nd Amendment rights of all Americans.U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, candidate for the Republican nomination for Ohio governor