A Democratic congressional candidate from the state of New Mexico, Pat Davis has found himself in the national spotlight for his viral "F*** the NRA" advertisement. Davis is getting even more attention for his interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Tuesday night over another one of his controversial, and false, advertisements where he claims an AR-15 can fire 150 rounds in 15 seconds.
But Pat Davis' controversial gun control advertisements aren't the only controversial thing about the candidate and current Albuquerque city councilor.
In 2013, while chairman of the Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers, Pat Davis was arrested on an aggravated DWI charge, where he blew a .16, twice the legal limit.
The arrest ultimately forced Davis to resign as chairman, according to the Albuquerque Journal. However, Davis decided he was going to keep his position as executive director of ProgressNow New Mexico, a leadership role that now belongs to Stephanie Maez.
According to Davis' campaign website, ProgressNowNM is "one of New Mexico’s largest advocacy organizations fighting right-wing fake news and helping to elect progressive champions to school boards, city councils, and the state legislature."
The Albuquerque Journal also reported that Davis, 35 at the time of his arrest, is a former Washington, D.C. police officer who failed to secure the Democratic nomination for another elected position in 2010. Ironically, a few years before his DWI, Davis supported a more aggressive approach to combatting drunk driving.
Davis, 35, is a former Washington, D.C., police officer and spokesman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque. He unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for sheriff of Bernalillo County in 2010.
Davis has spoken in favor of aggressive anti-DWI efforts and applauded a 2010 court decision that gave police officers more tools to go after drunken drivers.
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Due to Pat Davis' anti-gun positions, he has received the "Gun Sense Rating" from Moms Demand Action, a gun control group headed by gun control activist Shannon Watts.
Proud to earn the support of @MomsDemand in my campaign for #NM01. As someone who has fought for (and passed) tougher gun laws, #MomsDemand recognizes that I’d be one of the strongest opponents to the NRA in Congress #GunSenseCandidate #NeverAgain https://t.co/4TzBRgs4ht
— Pat Davis (@PatDavisNM) March 20, 2018
Davis has also voiced his support for March For Our Lives, the gun control movement led by the Parkland activists. In March, Davis tweeted out photos of his attendance at the March For Our Lives Alburqurque rally.
I’m proud to march with @MomsDemand, nurses like Patricia, Moms like Susan, and vets like Kat, all saying enough in today’s @MarchABQ #marchforourlives pic.twitter.com/os204o3Xva
— Pat Davis (@PatDavisNM) March 24, 2018
Gun control is a top priority for Davis' campaign, as he has laid out several policy objectives on his website. Davis unapologetically supports the "return to the Clinton-era Assault Weapons Ban" and, if he is elected, says he will "co-sponsor and help pass a federal law requiring background checks for every gun sale. No exceptions." He also supports "no fly, no buy" legislation that would prevent people on the no-fly list from purchasing weapons, but says he would protect an individual's right to due process.
Davis' race looks to be competitive as he is competing against five other candidates for the Democratic nomination.
One of Davis' more notable opponents is Debra Haaland, a former candidate for Lieutenant Governor during New Mexico's governor's race in 2014. If Haaland were to become the Democratic nominee and defeat the opposing Republican nominee in November, she would become the first Native American woman to serve in Congress.
When it comes to money, according to the latest report from Open Secrets, Davis is toward the bottom of the pack, but all the media attention that he is receiving may give him a boost.
Republicans appear to be optimistic in their chances of flipping the seat. In a report from Politico, the RNC has stated that the 1st Congressional District of New Mexico is one of its 36 targets in the 2018 midterms.
While several Democrats are jockeying for their party's nomination, Republicans have one candidate running. Janice Arnold-Jones is the Republican nominee. After leaving New Mexico's House of Representatives in 2010, Arnold-Jones ran to become the GOP nominee for governor that same year. In 2012, Arnold-Jones ran against now Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham for the 1st Congressional District seat but lost by double digits.
The Democratic Primary for New Mexico's 1st Congressional District is on June 5, 2018.
Watch the news piece on Davis' DWI below.
Watch Davis' controversial "F*** the NRA" ad and interview with Tucker Carlson below.
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