Former Georgetown basketball player Omari Faulkner has launched a pro-Second Amendment, Republican campaign to unseat Virginia Sen. Mark Warner (D).

Faulkner has served as a U.S. diplomat and a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserves.

He says he is running because the news reports from Virginia are full of “conflict that divides us” and “politicians who fail us.” He says, “It is time to stand up for the people and values of Virginia and reignite the American Dream for our children.”

I was taught to always challenge myself to be better. Now today, as conflict seeks to divide us & politicians fail us, it’s time to challenge our leaders to be better. #BeBetterVA pic.twitter.com/8a6Rru7977 — Omari Faulkner (@OmariFaulkner) November 13, 2019

The Daily Wire asked Faulkner for his take on the Democrats’ current push to impose gun control on Virginians. He responded:

I am a staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Growing up in poor areas of Memphis, TN, I witnessed first-hand loved ones be victim to gun violence. It is not law-abiding citizens who are committing these crimes – it’s criminals. Virginia Democrats are wrong in their attempts to criminalize Virginians’ 2nd Amendment rights. We need to talk about mental health and other ways to prevent gun violence, but taking away Constitutional rights is not the answer.

Faulkner noted Second Amendment rights–as well as other natural rights–are “God-given,” and must be protected.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.