Democrats Win Congress as Gun Rights Groups Predict Sales Surge

Democrats won control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in the November 2026 midterm elections, while also securing government trifectas in states including Arizona and Pennsylvania. Gun control advocacy groups Brady United and Everytown celebrated the results, with Everytown specifically noting the flip of the Arizona State House and Senate to a "Gun Sense Majority."

Alan Gottlieb, Chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, predicts this political shift will trigger a nationwide surge in firearm sales. He warns that buyers may rush to purchase semiautomatic rifles and pistols in anticipation of new restrictive legislation and a pending Supreme Court ruling on those firearms. Gottlieb suggests that new legislatures may implement "workarounds" to avoid Supreme Court scrutiny, such as permit-to-purchase requirements, extended waiting periods, and stricter concealed carry permits.

Recent data supports a trend of increasing firearm activity. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported that background checks increased by 7.9 percent in October 2026 compared to the previous year, while Federal Bureau of Investigations data showed over 2.2 million NICS background checks in October. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear cases regarding gun bans in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois, on December 2, and the new Congress will be seated on January 3, 2027.