Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
GOP Rep. under fire over new gun stance
When Brian Mast was elected to Congress 17 months ago, he held a coveted “A” grade and campaign cash from the politically potent National Rifle Association.
Now, former supporters are condemning him for what they see as a profound betrayal even as he’s heralded for his courage by one of the nation’s leading gun-control organizations.
The transformation stems from Mast’s reaction to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, in which he broke dramatically from the playbook used by the NRA and Republican politi-
cians whenever there’s a mass shooting.
Nine days after 17 people were killed and 17 wounded in the Feb 14 shooting, the freshman Republican congressman from Florida’s Treasure Coast called for sweeping restrictions on guns.
The reactions came quickly:
Fury among grassroots conservative voters and activists — and angst among Republican Party leaders.
Praise from gun-control advocates who are more used to supporting Democrats than praising Republicans.
Questions about the effect on Mast’s re-election prospects this year in the northern Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie county 18th District.
Reactions
Many of Mast’s supporters were stunned by his call for banning assault weapons, including the AR-15, used in the Stoneman Douglas massacre and many other mass shootings; background checks for anyone buying a firearm; a higher minimum age for buying various categories of guns; and banning of accessories like bump stocks that make firearms perform like automatic weapons.
“He shocked a lot of people,” said Barbara Grossman of Palm Beach Gardens, cofounder of the Palm Beach County Tea Party. “People just didn’t expect it.”
Randy Lundi, who lost a campaign for Congress in Ohio in 1994 and now lives in Jupiter, termed it “a betrayal for Republicans who voted for him.”
“Without a doubt, it changed my view completely,” said Jim Buchheit, a retiree who lives in Port St. Lucie. “I just think he drank the Democratic Kool-Aid.”
Reactions from Grossman, Lundi and Buchheit, all of whom live in Mast’s district and voted for him, were mild compared with the fiercely negative reactions on Facebook. Mast, an Army sergeant who lost both legs and a finger when a bomb exploded under him in Kandahar, Afghanistan, was labeled “blue falcon,” suggesting a supposed ally who ends up stabbing fellow soldiers in the back.
Some people he considered friends turned their backs as a result of his stand, Mast said in an interview. “They don’t even want to talk about it — don’t even want to shake hands.”
Isabelle James praised Mast. She is political director of Giffords, the gun-control organization founded by former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., who was severely wounded in an assassination attempt, and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly. “Giffords applauds Congressman Mast for having the courage to stand up to the gun lobby.”
And voter Richard Rosenblatt of Palm Beach Gardens said he has new respect for his congressman.
“I was hoping he would be more than just another pol. And it looks like he turned out that way because he followed his conscience,” Rosenblatt said. “He’s put his principles ahead of political expediency.”
Transitions
Before moving to Palm City to run for Congress, Mast, 37, lived for a year about five minutes from Stoneman Douglas in Parkland.
Besides the A grade from the NRA, Federal Election Commission records show the NRA political victory fund gave $4,950 to Mast’s 2016 campaign. The Center for Responsive Politics reported that the NRA’s political arm spent another $26,569 on his behalf.
Mast said one of the reasons he felt compelled to speak out is that he has repeatedly used the military equivalent of the AR-15 — probably far more than almost anyone talking about the issue. That could help immunize him against fallout, said Kevin Wagner, a political scientist at Florida Atlantic University.
“He speaks from experience,” Wagner said. “His service and his career make it very hard to suggest that he’s some knee-jerk liberal who doesn’t understand guns. Because clearly he has a background that shows he does understand.”
Political outlook
Despite the anger expressed by some voters who supported Mast in 2016 — and dismay from some Republican Party leaders — Mast’s shift could prove politically advantageous.
“I think it will help,” said Richard Giorgio, a partner in the Democratic political consulting firm Patriot Games. “That district is a moderate Republican and swing district. And I believe that position will help him with voters on both sides of the aisle.”
Polling consistently shows large majorities of voters favor the kind of policies Mast endorsed after Stoneman Douglas. James said people who are upset by Mast’s stand are loudly vocal, but their numbers are relatively small.
“The politics of this issue has shifted, and I think we’re going to see gun safety emerge as a defining issue in the 2018 midterms,” James said.
Conventional political wisdom holds that a large group of pro-gun voters are so passionate that the issue can be the single subject that motivates their vote, but that those who favor gun controls aren’t as motivated by the single issue.
And the NRA has a reputation for punishing people who deviate from its policies to set an example for others not to take the same risk.
The NRA instructs reporters to submit questions through its website. It didn’t respond to questions about Mast.
Wagner said the greatest vulnerability for Mast would come if he faced a credible, conservative voice in the Republican primary. May 4 is the deadline for an opponent to qualify to get on the ballot for the Aug. 28 primary. Lundi predicted that would happen.
Wagner said Mast could see trouble in November if conservative, pro-gun voters lose enthusiasm and skip voting in the congressional race in November. “That could hurt his turnout.”
Michael Barnett, chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party, said he’s conveyed his displeasure to Mast — repeatedly — about his position on the issue. But, he said, he wants Mast re-elected.
“I hope people will heal on this issue over time,” Barnett said. “I think he’s going to win the primary. We need to unite in our efforts to reelect him in November. We’re not going to do it if we’re still fighting with each other.”