House GOP candidate raffles AR-15 rifle to donors

A House Republican candidate in North Carolina is raffling off an AR-15 rifle to promote his campaign.

“Nothing says you support the Second Amendment like owning one of the finest AR-15 rifles on the market,” Greg Brannon wrote in an email to supporters on Tuesday. “And it could be yours if you enter to your name — right away.”

{mosads}Brannon, an obstetrician, is running a longshot campaign against two incumbents, Reps. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) and George Holding (R-N.C.). The district is currently held by Ellmers, but a redistricting in the state prompted Holding to challenge her seat.

In the email to supporters, Brannon touted his support for gun rights, lashing out at those who oppose the “God-given right.”

“Patriot, I don’t know about you, but personally I love firearms,” he wrote. “Whether it’s for hunting, for shooting, for collecting, for personal safety — or as the Founders reminded us — to serve as a safeguard against tyranny and oppression.

“And there’s not much more I enjoy than going to the range and firing off a few hundred rounds on a weekend afternoon,” he continued. “Of course, I’m sure Barack Obama, Loretta Lynch, Michael Bloomberg and the rest of the gun control lobby can’t stand the fact that I love guns and am giving away an AR-15.”

Brannon’s campaign is giving away a Core-15 M4 rifle, a rifle similar to those used by the military and law enforcement agencies. Supporters must make a donation to the campaign in order to enter the contest.

Brannon mounted a failed run for Senate in North Carolina in 2014, losing the GOP primary to Thom Tillis, who eventually won the general election.