NY Republican decries polarized parties after dropping out of reelection race

Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.) criticized the increased polarization of both political parties on Sunday after he dropped out of his reelection race following his voicing support for gun control proposals.

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Jacobs told co-anchor Dana Bash that he is the only sitting Republican lawmaker in favor of an assault weapons ban, comparing himself to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), the only anti-abortion Democrat in the House.

“Our parties are very polarized right now,” Jacobs said. “And I don’t think that’s good for the parties. I don’t think that’s good for democracy, and I think that’s one reason why Washington is not working.” 

Jacobs had announced his support for an assault weapons ban in the wake of high-profile mass shootings at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas and a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., which is close to Jacob’s district.

In the days after voicing his support for such a ban, GOP officials who endorsed Jacobs rescinded their support. Jacobs announced he would not run for a second term about a week later.

Jacobs said on Sunday he supports an assault weapons ban because proposals put forth by his Republican colleagues “felt hollow.”

Last week, Jacobs bucked his party by voting for both gun control packages put to a vote on the House floor by Democrats. 

The first package, dubbed the Protecting Our Kids Act, included provisions to raise the minimum purchasing age for semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21 and to ban civilians from using high-capacity magazines. 

Jacobs also voted in favor of the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, which would create a national “red flag” law, alongside four other Republicans.

Those bills won’t pass the Senate, but Jacobs on Sunday said he was “hopeful” that a bipartisan group of senators that has been meeting in recent days could find common ground on a gun-related package.

Jacobs told Bash that the longtime debate over gun control has broken down over a lack of trust between gun owners and lawmakers favoring more regulation, arguing gun control is an urban-rural debate.

“There’s not a trust right now between those people and others on this discussion, because it’s been so heated,”