Project Details
Close the Gun Show Loophole
In Virginia’s 11th district, incumbent Representative Gerry Connolly, our candidate, was facing a serious challenge by Keith Fimian. With less than three weeks remaining in the campaign, the race was listed as a “toss-up” by the Cook Political Report and Real Clear Politics.
A week earlier, Fimian had been caught on tape advocating guns on college campuses and declaring that college students should “pack heat” to prevent gun violence. This was an extreme statement by the candidate. What came next was shocking: “I think at Virginia Tech, if one of those kids in one of those classrooms was packing heat, I think it would not have happened.” This reference to the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting was beyond tone-deaf. It was shocking and extreme, and revealed Fimian as someone who could not be trusted to represent Virginia’s 11th district. Voters had to know Fimian would not work for gun control in Virginia.
This spot, “Next,” allowed Omar Samaha to tell the tragic story of his sister Reema who was killed on that heartbreaking day at Virginia Tech. This spot was viewed as a crucial IE in a very tight race. Members of the campaign and media team view this as one of the crucial pieces that helped put Gerry Connolly over the top.