Over the last nine years, the National Rifle Association has doled out more campaign cash into New York than to any other state in the country. The NRA has reportedly given New York legislators and political committees $217,400 since 2003, with the primary goal of defeating Mayor Michael Bloomberg's push for the microstamping of bullet casings.

Almost half of the contributions to New York came in 2010, after legislators voted against a microstamping bill, which would have required bullet casings to carry unique markings, an effective anti-crime measure. Senate Democrats, who held the majority at the time, tried to pass the bill but could not gather the necessary 32 votes, according to NY Daily News.

Furthermore, the NRA handed out $92,500 to New York's Senate Republican Campaign Committee shortly before they gained control of the chamber after the 2010 elections. The National Shooting Sports Foundation has also been cited for donating $103,500 to the Empire State, $80,000 of which went to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee also in 2010.

Democrats argue that the gun lobby's donations to the GOP are a major factor as to why the Senate has continued to refuse to pass the microstamping bill. On the other hand, opponents of microstamping maintain that Bloomberg is the single largest donor to the Senate GOP. Since 2009, the NRA and the National Shooting Sports Foundation have spent a combined total of $159,000 in lobbying in New York since 2009.

New York Elections Michael bloomberg Michael bloomberg