WASHINGTON — A new poll shows serious political backlash against five senators who recently voted against expanding gun-background checks.
Public Policy Polling found voters less likely to support the senators in their next election bids after they opposed background checks on private gun sales at shows and online.
“This is not proving to be a winning vote politically,” PPP Director Tom Jensen said yesterday.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) saw her approval ratings, once the highest in the Senate at 54 percent, plummet 16 points. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) now has the lowest approval rating in the chamber at 32 percent, the poll found. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) has seen an 18-point approval drop in the past six months. And almost half of voters in Nevada said they will be less likely to support Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nevada) because of his opposition to the measure, PPP found.
Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), one of only four Democrats who voted against the measure, fell 8 points, according to the poll.