Georgia State University's Timothy Lytton on How Guns Will Impact the Senate Runoff

The Weekly Reload Podcast

The race that will decide the final balance of power in the Senate will be decided in a matter of days.

The contest in Georgia between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Hershel Walker won't determine who controls the Senate since Democrats have already accomplished that, but it will determine how easily they can move forward with President Joe Biden's executive and judicial appointments. That will significantly impact gun policy for the next two years. So, we've got Georgia State University professor Timothy Lytton on the show to talk about where the race is headed.

Professor Lytton gives expert on-the-ground insight into how gun politics are affecting the race. He argues that gun policy is continually a major issue in the increasingly-purple state. And he says that while guns are unlikely to be a top issue in the campaign, they may be a decisive one for turning out votes.

That's why it makes sense that the NRA is dumping millions of dollars into the race. It's also why the relative absence of the major gun-control groups is so surprising. But Lytton says they may still be contributing in other ways that aren't captured by Federal Elections Committee filings.

We also go over Governor Brian Kemp's (R.) win over Democrat Stacey Abrams. Lytton said gun policy featured even more heavily in that race due to Kemp's successful push for permitless gun-carry earlier this year. But he's not so sure another big push to loosen the state's gun laws will be coming in the wake of Kemp's win.

Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogelman and I discuss new polling that shows the Supreme Court's latest Second Amendment decision is popular.

Special Guest: Timothy Lytton.