The first political battleground over gun control is between Democrats

In the Democratic primary to replace Jackson, the only candidate to have an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association happens to also be one of the only white contenders in a district that is majority-black: former Rep. Debbie Halvorson, who represented a more conservative district from 2008 to 2010.

While Halvorson supports bolstering background checks, her gun-control message focuses on stricter enforcement of current laws and stiffer penalties for offenders. She’s been steadfast in her opposition to a federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines—two of the White House’s best-known proposals.

“My overall idea is that we want to go after the criminals, not the law-abiding citizens,” Halvorson said, pointing to the fact that strict gun-control measures in place in Cook County, including an assault-weapons ban and strict handgun restrictions, have done little to bring down the murder rate.