A pro-gun congressional candidate sent robocalls to some voters in northern Los Angeles County, touting his NRA endorsement, just hours after three people were gunned down and three others stabbed in near the UCSB campus in Isla Vista, it was reported on May 27.
The recorded messages, sent by the campaign for Congressional candidate Tony Strickland Saturday, came a day after an anguished parent blasted Congress and the NRA for failing to regulate guns.
“We are incredibly saddened by what happened last Friday evening,” said Strickland campaign spokesman Evan Handy. He said the robocalls had been pre-scheduled and went out Saturday morning “to a small universe of Second Amendment supporters.”
The robocalls were first reported at santaclarita.com.
An announcer said, “Tony has been an longtime supporter of the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms and will continue to oppose, and actively fight, any legislation that would take away our fundamental Second Amendment right to bear arms.”
The recorded announcement also touts Strickland’s “lifetime ‘A’ rating from the NRA.”
Based on fundraising, Strickland is ahead of several other fellow Republicans in the race to replace retiring Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon in the current primary election, which is open for mail-in ballots now and will conclude with the primary election booths open on June 3.
Strickland, 44, previously served in the State Senate and Assembly; he previously served as the chief of staff of then-Assemblyman Tom McClintock. He is a graduate of Whittier College. Twice John Chiang defeated him in the race for State Controller.
