(October 2002) Tim Ferguson is one of the most visible signs that guns are back on the political map in Maryland. Ferguson went down in defeat to David Brinkley, by a margin that wasn't even close (53-38 percent.) Let's review why insiders are taking this very seriously. Ferguson was a two term incumbent conservative in one of the most conservative strongholds of the state. His district was the only one that became stronger for GOP conservatives as a result of redistricting. Conventional political wisdom had Ferguson walking away with the primary win without breaking a sweat, yet he went down failing even to take his home precincts (where our grassroots activists worked hardest.)

Ferguson campaigned as a pro-gunner, but when he lost over the gun issue - for bargaining away our filibuster capability on the Gun Safety Act in 2000 - our community showed we have the strength to get our own message out and make it stick. This should get attention in GOP circles, where gun votes overrode leadership's backing for status quo. We didn't cave in to partisan demands that we back a safe pick who we know is soft on our issue. This should also get attention in Democratic circles, where the lopsided vote showed our message - about the impact of gun control as delivered by Glendening and Kennedy - can resonate with a far broader base of voters than they hoped. Many Dems are badly exposed on this issue, Kathleen Kennedy worst of all.

Direct mail and radio ads from Marylanders for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership reached a broad base in Ferguson's Frederick and Carroll county district. The truth strategy worked. That's gotta make anti-gun politicians pretty nervous. Our analysis shows this can work elsewhere too, but whether it can be done depends on funds. The Ferguson exercise proved it can work, but scaling this up to a state-wide audience requires funds beyond what the PAC has in-hand. That's another way of saying: dig deep and donate to MPFO today! We've shown we can win, and we have troops willing to fight the political fights, so don't let them fight a battle they aren't fueled to win!