Moss Pick Making 2nd Amendment Supporters Happy

The Second Amendment rights value of the Republican nomination of Chemung County Sheriff Christopher Moss for lieutenant governor isn’t lost on one of the state Legislature’s staunchest Cuomo critics.

Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin, who has repeatedly hounded Gov. Andrew Cuomo over the controversial gun control law, was high on the pick of Moss, who said during his nomination acceptance speech Thursday that he supports a repeal of the SAFE Act.

“I think he’s great. Fine example of law enforcement, upstanding guy, master’s in public administration. So I think it’s a wonderful pick,” McLaughlin said, agreeing that having a law enforcement official against the SAFE Act as a statewide candidate is a positive for anti-SAFE Act advocates. “Not only just for the SAFE Act, but the fact that he’s got that master’s in public administration. The fact that he’s got executive experience in running his department. It’s just an outstanding pick.”

Moss made headlines last year after saying that Cuomo was adamant in a meeting with sheriffs that they shouldn’t give their personal opinions about the law because that hurts enforcement. McLaughlin was supportive of Moss’ statements a year later.

 “This is a gentleman (who) stood up to Andrew Cuomo when Andrew Cuomo tried to brow beat the sheriffs of this state, who are duly elected by the people of this state, as we all are,” the assemblyman said Thursday. “Andrew Cuomo is apparently not a fan of the First Amendment either because he tried to silence those sheriffs. Chris Moss stood up to him and said, ‘No. We’re elected just like and we have a right to speak our mind.’ I would hope that a governor would understand that, but I guess not.”

After giving his acceptance speech, Moss told reporters he hasn’t interacted with Cuomo since that meeting and that he has moved on.

The SAFE Act is likely to be among the top campaign issues for Republicans, including statewide candidates, this year. At the second day of the State Republican Convention Thursday, a video clip using audio of Cuomo defending the gun control law was played—intended to paint the governor negatively.

A March Siena poll showed that a majority of New York voters do in fact support the SAFE Act 63-32.