We're Starting To See Some Very Real Ramifications From Senators' Votes On Gun Control
Those are the ramifications that have come out of last week's failed vote to expand background checks, something that gun-control advocates think will cause backlash since 90 percent of voters routinely approved of the measure.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who co-sponsored the amendment with West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, saw his approval rating jump to 48 percent in a new Quinnipiac poll. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), who voted against the measure, saw her approval rating dip to 44 percent in a new Public Policy Polling survey.
For both, the swings were drastic. Toomey now has an approval-to-disapproval split of 48-30, a net increase of 7 points from March. His approval held steady among Republicans, and he gained ground with Independents and Democrats.
Ayotte, meanwhile, is now underwater with an approval-to-disapproval split of 44-46. That was a 15-point net decrease from last October.
It remains to be seen if these trends will continue, or if gun issues will be a driving force for voters at the polls. But a recent Fox News poll found that voters would be much more likely to support a candidate who supported an expansion of background checks.
Here's a look:
