Attorney General Petro has released the concealed handgun license statistics for the third quarter of 2006. There were 3,514 regular licenses issued, and 18 temporary emergency licenses issued, bring the total to 82,728 Ohioans licensed to carry a concealed handgun.

While the anti-gunners still claim 82,000 is an “insignificant minority” of the population, anti-gun champion Barbra Sykes likely considers that a huge number.

If 24,423 people, (less than 30% of license holders) would have switched their vote from pro-gun Mary Taylor to the anti-self defense candidate, we would have a different State Auditor for the next four years. Hardly what we would call insignificant.

It’s interesting to note that Mary Taylor, a staunch pro-gun advocate, was the only Republican elected to statewide office in 2006. Winners on the Democratic ticket included self-defense friendly Richard Cordray, Marc Dann, and Governor-elect Ted Strickland. These winners all understand that a pro-gun stance does not simply make good sense; it’s also the best position to take politically.

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