In the 2018 election cycle so far, gun rights groups, including the NRA, have outspent the competition more than 40 to 1. Gun rights groups have made nearly $600,000 in direct contributions and independent expenditures on behalf of congressional candidates, the data shows. It's here that the leverage of the NRA and other gun rights groups becomes fully evident. While they spent north of $10 million last year, those advocating the opposite -- gun control -- spent less than one-fifth as much. In fact, gun manufacturing companies spent an additional $1.4 million on their own to lobby against new restrictions, on top of the $10 million gun rights groups spent.

Source: CNN February 23, 2018 17:09 UTC