By TNHUNTING.COM
TnHunting.Com Staff

[NOTE: This story supplements the TnHunting.Com issues section, which highlights the 2006 Congressional races in Tennessee. For more information on this issue, click here.]

For an election year, talk of the Second Amendment and gun rights has been largely missing from the front lines of political news and debate.

After gun rights played a huge role in the 2000 presidential defeat of former Tennessee Senator Al Gore, and were much-debated during the 2002 gubernatorial election won by Phil Bredesen and during the 2004 presidential race, little is being said about guns or hunting as a high-profile Senate primary rolls close, as well as primaries for all of Tennessee's congressional seats.

When voters head to the polls next Thursday, they will choose from among three candidates in the Republican primary: Ed Bryant, Bob Corker and Van Hilleary. Democratic voters, meanwhile, are assured that Harold Ford, Jr. will be their nominee.

Little is known about any of the GOP candidates' stance on gun rights, while Ford's past gun record simply muddies the water. The National Rifle Association has not issued their coveted endorsement for Tennessee, and isn't likely to do so until after the primary, at which time they're almost certain to endorse whomever wins the Republican primary.

Following is what is known about each candidate from a Second Amendment standpoint:

REPUBLICAN ED BRYANT
"I support the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees our right to keep and bear arms," Bryant says on his campaign website. "As U.S. Attorney for West Tennessee, appointed by President George H. Bush, I've seen how gun control laws only penalize law-abiding Tennesseans and do nothing to stop a person intent on committing a violent crime with a gun."

Bryant served three terms as Congressman before leaving the House in 2002 to seek the GOP nomination for Senate, a race he lost to Lamar Alexander. Despite his years on the Hill, few gun votes came to the plate while Bryant was in office. However, he did vote "yes" on a bill that would decrease the gun waiting period from three days to one day. He has received an "A" rating from the NRA in the past.

REPUBLICAN BOB CORKER
"As Senator, I will protect the Second Amendment's guarantee of our right to bear arms and reject attempts to limit the freedom of law-abiding gun owners," Corker says on his campaign website. "The best way to stop crime is to capture and imprison criminals, not to impose new burdens on law-abiding citizens."

Because Corker's only office-holding responsibility was as mayor of Chattanooga for one term, little is known about his stance on gun issues. During his unsuccessful GOP primary bid against Bill Frist in 1994, the gun rights issue did not emerge as a major topic.

REPUBLICAN VAN HILLEARY
Hilleary's campaign website does not mention the gun rights issue. However, during his unsuccessful bid for governor in 2002, Hilleary played to hunters and gunowners, forming a Hunters for Hilleary coalition. Like Bryant, Hilleary spent three terms in Congress before leaving in 2002, but few important gun votes emerged during his terms. However, Hilleary did vote "NO" on decreasing the gun waiting period from three days to one day.

DEMOCRAT HAROLD FORD, JR.
Ford's campaign website also fails to mention the gun rights issue. Ford does have a lengthy history on Second Amendment votes in the House, but that history seems to only muddy the water. Ford voted to prohibit product misuse lawsuits against gun manufacturers in 2005, voted to prohibit suing gunmakers and sellers for gun misuse in 2003, and voted "NO" on decreasing the gun waiting period from three days to one day in 1999. Ford received an "F" rating from the NRA in 2000 and 2002, and a "D" rating from the NRA in 2004. It is curious to note that, despite the NRA's low marks for Ford, his past voting record is comparable to Hilleary's in terms of a stance on gun ownership.

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