Indiana Democrat Tells Opponent 'We Have Guns Too' in Council Race
Jaime West, a Democratic candidate for the Fayette County Council in Indiana, ended a campaign interview by saying, "We have guns too." The line, delivered in the closing moments of the exchange, has since circulated among gun owners and political observers as a case study in how Second Amendment language gets deployed in local races. West's comment reads less like a policy position and more like a signal to voters that she is not anti-gun, a message that many Democrats in rural and exurban districts have learned to send.
Key Details
The remark was made during a Fayette County Council campaign interview and was reported by The Truth About Guns. Fayette County sits in east-central Indiana, a region where firearm ownership is common and hunting and sport shooting are part of daily life. West's statement offers no specific legislative proposal, no stated view on carry permits or magazine limits, and no detail on how she would vote on local ordinances. The entire message rests on the phrase itself.
Why It Matters for Gun Owners
Gun owners in Indiana should pay attention to what candidates say about firearms at the local level, because county councils control more day-to-day matters than most people realize, from law enforcement budgets and sheriff funding to zoning rules that affect ranges and shooting clubs. Indiana is a permitless carry state, and that status is set in statute, not county ordinance, so a council member cannot directly reverse it. But councils can shape how aggressively local agencies enforce state law and how they respond to shooting-related complaints. A candidate who uses gun ownership as a campaign prop should be asked to state a concrete position on those questions. Voters who carry or own firearms should request written answers on local firearms issues before casting a ballot, not accept a single line as a platform.
DownRange Analysis
A phrase like "we have guns too" is cheap to say and tells you nothing about how someone will vote. Under the Bruen framework, the government must show that a firearms regulation fits within the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation. That standard applies to laws and ordinances, not to campaign rhetoric. What gun owners should judge is the voting record that follows. Ask West, or any candidate, three things: Do you support Indiana's permitless carry law? Would you vote to fund or restrict local range access? Would you oppose any local ordinance that exceeds state preemption? Clear answers separate substance from signaling. Without them, the comment is a talking point, and gun owners should treat it that way.
