State of New Hampshire Archives: on Gun Control

Bill O`Brien: Stand up for 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens

Steve Marchand: Supports permits, background checks, and no big changes

A: You should have a permit, and I agree with Governor Hassan's decision. I think if you get a background check and you're seen as somebody that is not a threat to others in having a gun, I think that it's totally appropriate to have one. I support the Second Amendment, but I'm somebody that is not looking to make big changes on that but I would have supported Governor Hassan's veto of that recently.

Colin Van Ostern: Background checks and maybe assault weapon ban

Van Ostern and Marchand argued for universal background checks but suggested a ban would not be effective if residents could buy those weapons in other states. However, Van Ostern, a gun owner and bird hunter, said he would not oppose a state ban.

Mark Connolly: State assault weapons ban if U.S. Congress fails to act

On guns, Connolly took the hardest line, calling forcefully for a ban on high-power, high capacity assault weapons following the recent surge in mass shootings across the US. "This is a real & present danger to our country, and I think like energy and carbon, states need to take leadership because Washington is obviously broken," he said.

Van Ostern and Marchand argued for universal background checks but suggested a ban would not be effective if residents could buy those weapons in other states. However, Van Ostern, a gun owner and bird hunter, said he would not oppose a state ban.

Derek Dextraze: More thorough background checks, but guns are fine

A: Strongly Support - I think more thorough background checks but guns are fine in my eyes.

Bernie Sanders: I have shown courage against NRA on gun issues

CLINTON: I have been for the Brady bill; I have been against assault weapons.

SANDERS: In 1988, just to set the record straight governor, I ran for the U.S. House. I said, "I don't think it's a great idea that we sell automatic weapons in this country that are used by the military to kill people very rapidly." Gun people said, "Vote for one of the others, but not Bernie Sanders." I lost that election by 3%. Quite likely for that reason. Do not tell me that I have not shown courage in standing up to the gun people, in voting to ban assault weapons, voting for instant background checks, voting to end the gun show loop hole and now we're in a position to create a consensus in America on gun safety.

Bernie Sanders: People have the right to buy guns, with sensible regulations

SANDERS: It's a country in which people choose to buy guns. More than half of the people in Vermont are gun owners. That's the right of people. I think we have to bring together the majority of the people who do believe in sensible gun safety regulations. Who denies that it is crazy to allow people to own guns who are criminals or mentally unstable? We've got to eliminate the gun show loophole. We have got to see that weapons designed by the military to kill people are not in the hands of civilians.

Hillary Clinton: I support Brady Bill and closing the Charleston loophole

OnTheIssues explanation: "The Charleston loophole" refers to a recent shooter in Charleston S.C. who legally purchased the weapon he used in the shooting because of a "default proceed" rule. That rule means, if the FBI does not notify the dealer within three days, the purchase can proceed. In the case of the Charleston shooter, he WAS on the FBI list due to previous arrests, but due to a clerical error by a county jail clerk reporting his arrest with the4 wrong agency, he was allowed to purchase the weapon.

Hillary Clinton: Arming more people is not appropriate response to terrorism

CLINTON: Guns, in and of themselves, will not make Americans safer. We lose 33,000 people a year already to gun violence, arming more people to do what I think is not the appropriate response to terrorism. The first line of defense against radicalization is in Muslim-American community.

Martin O`Malley: We need more principle, not more polls

Martin O`Malley: FactCheck: Yes, ISIL made videos on buying assault weapons

We checked, and it is, according to a CNN article from April 2013: "A video from 2011 has resurfaced showing American-born al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn discussing how easy it is to buy guns in the US & urging fellow radicals to do so. In the video, the California-raised Gadahn said militants should arm themselves for attacks on Western governments. Gadahn says, "You can go down to a gun show at the local convention center and come away with a fully automatic assault rifle, without a background check. So what are you waiting for?"

O'Malley cited ISIL, and the video was actually made by al Qaeda, but the governor got the basics right. But the video is incorrect: a background check is actually needed.

Jon Lavoie: Current background check is sufficient

A: Support, NH currently has a background check. That is sufficient.

John Lynch: Keep N.H. gun laws unchanged

A: I do not support any changes to New Hampshire’s gun laws.