This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 6, 2011 - Republican congressional candidate Ed Martin doesn't hunt much, but he's hoping to attract voters who do by bringing in gun-rights advocate Rich Heller for a series of campaign stops Friday and Saturday.
At a Saturday afternoon fundraising event in Arnold, Heller will shoot into a "commemorative target'' for anyone who attends and brings a pistol. The ticket price is $50.
Heller became a national figure when he won a Supreme Court case against Washington D.C., which had a 32-year-old ban against handguns. The high court's decision affirmed an individual's right to own and carry a gun.
While here, Heller will accompany Martin as they "tour gun shops and ranges in the St. Louis area," Martin's campaign said. A question and answer session, photos "and hot dogs'' will be offered at some of the stops.
Martin, a lawyer in St. Louis, is seeking the 2nd District congressional seat now occupied by U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Town and Country. Akin is not seeking re-election because he is running for the U.S. Senate. Martin faces former U.S. Ambassador Ann Wagner of Ballwin for the Republican nomination.
Martin said during Saturday's debate with Wagner that he doesn't hunt much, but he is strongly supportive of the U.S. Constitution's 2nd Amendment regarding firearms.
Wagner, of course, noted that her family owns 16 guns -- a point that captured national attention during her unsuccessful bid last winter to be elected chair of the Republican National Committee.