Rather than working to prevent gun violence, Republicans in Lake County have chosen to promote the use of guns as a fundraising prize instead. Just as they have in recent years, Lake County Republicans are promoting a gun raffle in the area. Shared on social media by the official Facebook page for the Lake County Illinois Republican Central Committee, the “Friends of the NRA” ‘s so-called “The Future of Freedom” event on Thursday, March 28th, in Gurnee, includes special “single shot” and “double barrel” packages, along with several guns and NRA gear as prizes.
“The reason more people in Lake County are supporting Democrats is because they know Democrats represent their values and the Republican Party is increasingly becoming dangerously out of touch. While Democrats organize to prevent gun violence, extremist Lake County Republicans simply refuse to take the issue seriously. Democrats are going to win again in Lake County in 2024 because of sharp contrasts like this,” said Lake County Democrats Chair Lauren Beth Gash.
This is the latest example of local Republicans pushing guns as raffle prizes. In 2022, the Lake Villa Republicans faced backlash for their decision to hold a gun raffle weeks after the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. In 2017, less than two weeks after the terrible mass shooting during a country music festival in Las Vegas, the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, the Lake County Republicans threw a fundraiser with guns as raffle prizes for political donors.
