Viewers complain to Georgia news station over pro-gun campaign ad

A local NBC affiliate in Georgia has shared complaints from viewers concerned over a pro-gun campaign ad for GOP gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp.

In the ad, Kemp appears with a young man who says he is “interested in one of [his] daughters.” Kemp quizzes the teen, “Jake,” on several of his campaign goals while holding a shotgun.

Kemp then asks Jake about his two requirements for dating Kemp’s daughter: “have respect for women” and “a healthy appreciation for the Second Amendment.” Kemp then points the gun at Jake, saying the two are going to “get along just fine.”

I’m a conservative businessman with a 4-Point Plan to put hardworking Georgians first. I’m also the proud father of 3 teenage girls. Here’s the thing: If you want to date one of my daughters, you better have respect for women & a healthy appreciation for the 2nd Amendment. #gapol pic.twitter.com/dQvvfk06Rh

— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) April 27, 2018

Viewers of Atlanta NBC affiliate 11Alive have called for the network to stop showing the commercial. The network shared a selection of viewer comments, several of which say the ad made them uncomfortable.

“I am a conservative who believes in the 2nd amendment but this commercial makes me want to vote for the other side,” one commenter wrote.

“Holy cow, are we in the Wild West and propagating a gun culture?” another wrote.

And a third: “We are gun owners and we are outraged.”

The network also issued a statement saying that they cannot remove the ad due to Federal Communications Commission regulations about political advertising, according to HuffPost.

Kemp is one of seven GOP candidates running to replace Gov. Nathan Deal (R), whose term is ending. Another candidate, GOP state Sen. Hunter Hill, aired an ad earlier this year titled “Liberals won’t like this” that depicted him loading a semiautomatic rifle while calling for lowering the firearm purchasing age to 18 and nixing the need for carry permits.