Minnesota candidate for governor Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat, announced Thursday that he will donate the money he's received from the National Rife Association to charity after the mass shooting in Las Vegas.
Walz's gubernatorial opponent, state Rep. Erin Murphy, called for each candidate to refund any contributions taken from the NRA, specifically naming Walz in her statement.
"Nearly 700 Minnesotans have been killed by gun violence in the past decade," she wrote on Facebook Tuesday. "Until we confront the issue, confront the NRA, it will continue. Further, we know that most Minnesotans and responsible gun-owners break from the NRA, agreeing that it's time we pursue background checks and other measures to keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them. I'm calling on Congressman Walz and other candidates running to be the next leader of Minnesota to return any campaign contributions they've received from the NRA so that we can come together and act so no family experiences this tragedy again."
Walz reportedly received over $18,000 from the NRA, according to The Washington Post, while fellow Minnesota legislators Rep. Collin Peterson, a Democrat, took $20,450, and Rep. Erik Paulsen, a Republican, received $20,150.
The congressman accused Murphy of using the shooting to "gain a political edge" in the race for governor.
"I get it — that's politics," his campaign wrote on Facebook, according to CBS Minnesota. "It's also a distraction from the task at hand, which should be acting to stop tragedies like the attack that just took place in Las Vegas from happening again."
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