John Kerry Ted Strickland

Then-U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland (right) returns from a 2004 goose-hunting trip with then-presidential nominee John Kerry in Poland, Ohio. Strickland, once prominently supported by gun-rights groups, is now calling for tougher gun-control measures as a U.S. Senate candidate.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

COLUMBUS, Ohio--For years, Ted Strickland was a darling of the National Rifle Association.

But with his back against the wall in Ohio's U.S. Senate race, the Democrat is now emphasizing his support for tougher gun-control measures in a way that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

On Monday, Strickland appeared with U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut at forums in Cincinnati and Columbus to call for new gun restrictions, such as expanded background checks on firearm purchases and prohibiting gun sales to people on the federal terrorism watch list. Strickland is also airing a TV ad criticizing incumbent Republican Rob Portman for voting against those proposals.

This Saturday, Strickland is set to appear in Cleveland with former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona, a shooting victim who now promotes increased gun-control measures. His campaign is planning additional gun control-themed events in the coming days as well.

For most of his political career, Strickland, a native of rural southern Ohio, has been a prominent supporter of gun rights. As a congressman, he voted against the Brady Bill and Assault Weapons Ban. During his 2010 gubernatorial re-election campaign, he scored endorsements from the NRA and the Buckeye Firearms Association.

But Strickland has done an about-face since he launched his Senate campaign, and now favors an "enforceable" assault weapons ban. Strickland said the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre and other mass shootings have led him to change his mind, though as recently as last year he bragged about his "A+" NRA rating.

"He respects the Second Amendment, but he also has, in his words, eyes, ears, a heart and a brain, and he can look around and see the epidemic," said Strickland spokesman David Bergstein. "He understands we need to take some common-sense steps to make our country safer."

Emphasizing gun control also allows Strickland to strike back against the NRA, which has so far spent nearly $1.8 million this campaign against him, according to OpenSecrets.org. Such support, Bergstein said, is "an example of how Senator Portman is pushing his agenda of his rich and powerful friends."

There are other reasons for the shift, too. Portman has opened up a double-digit lead in recent polls, and Strickland is polling behind Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Ohio.

Strickland's move to the left on gun control, then, is a way for him to win over those Clinton voters who aren't supporting him, said Kyle Kondik, an Ohio native who analyzes elections at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

"If he were running even with Clinton, I don't think he'd be doing it," Kondik said.

Strickland's tactics also show how Democrats' path to victory in Ohio has changed since he was governor, Kondik added.

Democratic candidates used to win by capturing Northeast Ohio and getting enough support in Southeast Ohio to offset GOP support in other parts of the state. Now, Kondik said, Democrats need to run up big margins in all of the state's major cities, where gun-control measures are more popular.

"I think this is a tacit acknowledgement by Strickland that he's probably not going to do very well in the eastern part of the state," Kondik said.

Portman says he supports restricting gun sales to those on the terrorist watch list, but only if there is a process for those mistakenly added to the list to challenge their inclusion. The claim in Strickland's gun-control ad that Portman "voted to allow people on the terrorism watch list to buy guns" has been labeled "false" by Politifact.

The Cincinnati-area Republican doesn't support an assault-weapons ban and voted against bills to require background checks on most gun sales.

"Ted Strickland is now willing to say or do anything to win this election," said Portman spokeswoman Michawn Rich in a statement.