Gun Rights & Constitutional Protections: Defend the Constitution, Empower the Citizen

Governor’s Note: The Constitution isn’t conditional. It doesn’t bend for trends or elections. In New York, your Second Amendment rights have been under attack for decades—buried in bureaucracy, denied by design. I will restore what Albany has taken: your right to defend yourself, your family, and your freedom.

What It Takes to Get It Done: Fixing this isn’t about bumper stickers—it’s about legal muscle and executive will. As Governor, I will:

• Sign the New York Firearm Freedom Act, repealing unconstitutional state laws that restrict carry rights, ammo limits, and firearm types.
• Immediately suspend enforcement of any state-level firearm registry, red flag abuse, or permit denial that violates SCOTUS precedent under Bruen.
• Revoke funding for counties and municipalities that refuse to process lawful carry or purchase applications within mandated timelines.
• Order the State Police and AG to cease interference in federal firearm transfers, FFL operations, or lawful citizen-to-citizen sales.
• Declare New York a Second Amendment Sanctuary State, refusing enforcement of federal overreach not rooted in constitutional authority.
• Launch the Constitutional Rights Defense Fund to assist New Yorkers fighting unlawful search, seizure, censorship, or surveillance.

Why This Matters to You

• Only 1 in 10 concealed carry applications are approved in NYC—despite Supreme Court rulings declaring this unconstitutional.
• Rural New Yorkers face yearlong delays and intimidation tactics just to own a legal firearm.
• Crime is up, police response times are down, and yet Albany punishes lawful gun owners while releasing violent offenders.
• Red flag laws are abused to target political speech and family court litigants, not actual threats.
• Gun ownership deters more than 1.5 million crimes annually, according to DOJ and CDC studies.
• Over 200,000 New Yorkers have left the state since 2020, many citing lack of personal freedom and rising crime as key reasons.
• New York ranks among the worst states in the nation for constitutional rights protections across gun, privacy, and due process categories.
• Over 60% of NY counties have already passed resolutions declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries—but lack state backing.
• Thousands of veterans, hunters, and first responders are barred from firearm ownership due to outdated or vague mental health records.
• The right to self-defense is the foundation of every other freedom. If it falls, so does everything else.

We’re not asking for special rights—we’re demanding the rights we were born with. If Albany won’t honor them, I will.