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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo
Denverpost
(AP Photo/Mike Groll)
In his annual State of the State address, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo promised to "enact the toughest assault weapon ban in the nation, period," proposing a seven-point plan that expands background checks and restrict certain guns.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley
Denverpost
(AP Photo/Brian Witte)
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has said he intends to draft legislation to ban the sale of assault rifles and high-capacity magazines and restrict gun sales to the mentally ill.
Why It Will Matter in 2016
With no incumbent, the Democratic presidential primary will be wide open. A December poll by the Pew Research Center showed that 72 percent of Democrats think gun control is more important than protecting the right to own guns.
In a sense, it's actually the second major issue of the primary. Gay marriage was the first. Last year, Biden became the highest-ranking politician to support same-sex marriage (inadvertently forcing Obama's hand on the issue). Cuomo and O'Malley led efforts to legalize gay marriage in their states.
Another possible 2016 contender, Hillary Clinton, has not been a part of domestic policy discussions on gun control and same-sex marriage because of her job as Secretary of State.
