A candidate for an at-large seat on the Weld County Board of Commissioners recently announced his first campaign promise: to give back his first year’s salary to county residents by giving away AR-15 rifles.
Elijah Hatch, who owns several businesses and recently served on the county council, posted the pledge to his campaign website, elijahforweld.com.
“To re-emphasize my commitment to the county, I am not doing this for the money,” Hatch wrote. “It is my intent, if elected, to give every cent collected as commissioner back to the citizens of Weld County.”
Commissioners earn a salary of $105,000 per year — which Hatch said he’ll give to Anthony Navarro of Colorado Shooting Sports in Greeley in his first year elected to the office. They will then host biweekly drawings for interested Weld residents who, pending a background check and a completed firearm safety course, will be given a new AR-15 upon selection.
At the current market price, they expect to give away about 104 rifles, according to Hatch.
Hatch explained he’s “tired of seeing an individual’s net worth increase simply by being an elected official.”
“So, since I am working for the people, I will be giving back to the people, not taking,” Hatch wrote.
Hatch chose the semi-automatic rifles to give away as a supporter of the Second Amendment with a desire to change the stigma of gun ownership. He chose the AR-15 specifically due to misconceptions about the name, which is sometimes taken to mean “Assault Rifle” when it means “ArmaLite Rifle,” referring to the original manufacturer of the weapon.
“I believe in everyone’s choice to own or not own a firearm, but I want that choice to be educated and not based on fear,” Hatch said. “I have chosen the AR-15 to give away, simply because of the fear of the name itself.”
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