Chesterfield County, Virginia—State Senator Amanda Chase has released a campaign ad that seems to threaten the lives of gun violence prevention activists. As can be seen in the photo below, the ad depicts Senator Chase aiming a gun and is captioned “I’m not afraid to shoot down gun groups.” Progress Virginia is calling on Senator Chase to drop out of the race because this ad shows a clear lack of judgment and temperament that is required of the leaders of our state. 

“Everyone in our community deserves the opportunity to live without fear of violence. Senator Chase has clearly crossed the line with public, advertised threats against advocates and constituents,” Anna Scholl, Executive Director of Progress Virginia, said. “This ad shows a stunning and outrageous lack of judgment and basic decency. Senator Chase should drop out of the race immediately. We need leaders who will respectfully listen to all of their constituents, even ones that may disagree with them, not threaten them with violence.”

“When Senator Chase says she’ll ‘shoot down gun groups,’ she’s talking about me,” said Lori Haas, State Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and parent of a student shot and injured at Virginia Tech said. “While Senator Chase might not agree with me and other activists who want to prevent gun violence in our communities, she at the very least needs to listen to our concerns and not take out campaign ads threatening to shoot us. If Senator Chase can’t do her job without threatening violence, she has no business holding elected office.” 

Background: This is not the first time Senator Chase has taken a controversial stance on guns. 

• Earlier this year she said “It’s those who are naive and unprepared that end [up] raped. Sorry. But I’m not going to be a statistic.” 

• Senator Chase also carries her gun while presenting bills at the General Assembly and said, “Sometimes it’s a deterrent for over-exuberant folks. Unfortunately in the General Assembly we see the good, we see the bad, we see all types of things. It’s just for personal safety, quite honestly.”

• Senator Chase joined members of the Republican Party and voted to adjourn Gun Violence Prevention Special Session after just 90 minutes without voting on a single bill to address the issue. 

A picture of the ad is copied below.