WASHINGTON _ As Democrats set their sights on Michigan's 8th District, Republican Rep. Mike Bishop scrubbed his website of any trace of his past positions on guns.
Bishop's campaign website removed his A/A+ rating from the National Rifle Association as well as his previous support for right-to-carry laws, the Detroit News reported.
But Bishop's campaign spokesman, Stu Sandler, said the changes are more reflective of the Republican's positions since his election in 2014.
"The issues are ones that come up in the community but also that he's had a major role in terms of legislation _ jobs and the economy, tax reform, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, pipeline safety, opioid task force _ go down the line," Sandler told the newspaper.
The change comes as many elected officials, particularly Republicans, have come under criticism for support they have received from the NRA after the shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school last month that killed 14 students and three staff members.
Last month, Bishop denied that the NRA's support or the $4,000 he received from the organization influenced his decisions.
"The NRA doesn't play very much in my district. I have been a Second Amendment defender _ a defender of the Constitution my entire career," he told the News last month.
Bishop said he supports efforts to improve school safety like having bullet-proof glass. But he also said he opposes both an assault weapons ban and arming teachers.
Bishop is being targeted by Democrats this election cycle.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named Elissa Slotkin, his potential opponent, as one of the first candidates it would support it in its "Red to Blue" program.
