The NRA is delaying political advertisements set to run in Virginia following the mass shooting in Las Vegas that left at least 59 dead and more than 500 injured.
The National Rifle Association, that largest pro-gun lobby in the nation, had slated more $32,000 in advertising to start running on Tuesday, The Hill reported, citing a report by Advertising Analytics, a nonpartisan ad-buying firm that tracks the television market.
The NRA still plans the run the ads, but they won’t hit the air until Oct. 10, the same day gun rights organization’s $1 million ad campaign goes live.
The delay will keep Virginia’s airwaves free of pro-gun ads in the wake of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, though the shooting was not the reason for delaying the ads, Politico reported. The NRA has declined to comment on the reason as to why the ads were pushed back, though a source identified as being close to the organization said the change is part of its overall election strategy in Virginia, which is backing a pro-gun candidate in the state’s gubernatorial election and was not affected by the shooting on Sunday night.
The NRA has endorsed former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, a Republican who is running to replace term-limited Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat. The election is in November. The NRA is backed the entire Republican ticket for the upcoming election, also backing candidates for attorney general and other elected offices.
Former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head during a mass shooting at a political event she was hosting near Tuscon, was supposed to host a campaign event Monday fro Gillespie’s opponent, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. Giffords was going to plug his work on ending gun violence, but the event was canceled following the mass shooting in Las Vegas.
