Georgia congressional candidate Vernon Jones attended the National Rifle Association convention in Texas over the weekend, as some officials opted to skip the event in the wake of the deadly shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
In fact, Jones, a former Democrat attempting to declare himself the true Republican in the race, took aim at his GOP opponent Mike Collins for his absence at the event.
“My RINO opponent boycotted the NRA Convention because he’s a coward and in times like these, we need fighters in Washington, not pansies. The Second Amendment is clear: shall not be infringed means shall not be infringed. America needs God, not gun control,” Jones said in an emailed statement.
In addition to Jones, former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Jones in an attempt to clear the field for failed gubernatorial candidate David Perdue, attended the event. Trump rejected the notion stricter gun laws would have stopped the massacre, instead pointing to the continued mental health crisis across the country.
“We need to drastically change our approach to mental health. All of us must unite, Republican and Democrat, in every state and at every level of government to finally harden our schools and protect our children. What we need now is a top-to-bottom security overhaul at schools all across our country,” he said.
The runoff election between Jones and Collins will take place on June 21, after neither individual secured 50 percent of the vote to avoid the added campaign.
However, Collins led Jones in the first round of voting and has secured support from many state leaders, including former candidate David Curry and former Governor Nathan Deal.
The individuals are running to replace Congressman Jody Hice (R-GA-10), who launched an unsuccessful GOP primary challenge against Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
— — —
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Vernon Jones” by Vernon Jones For Congress.
