A Republican congressional candidate for Florida’s 1st district announced Sunday he’s giving away a custom-made AR-15 rifle  to a randomly chosen resident in light of the recent Orlando shooting.  

[
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] Touting his A+ rating by the National Rifle Association for the past 14 years, Florida state Sen. Greg Evers said the giveaway aims to highlight the importance of the Second Amendment.  

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“With terrorism incidents on the rise, both home and abroad, protecting our constitutional rights has never been more important,” Evers wrote in a statement on his campaign website. “With all that’s happening in the world today, I’ve never felt stronger about the importance of the Second Amendment in protecting our homeland than I do now.”  

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]  

Evers is running to replace GOP Rep. Jeff Miller in the August 30 Republican primary.  

The winner of the rifle will be chosen on July 4 from a pool of all district residents who liked and shared the Evers campaign’s Facebook page.  

The June 12 mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, which killed 49 people and injured 53, has renewed focus on the nation’s gun laws. The Senate is expected to vote on several gun control measures on Monday.  

Contact Rahman at remarahman@cqrollcall.com or follow her on Twitter @remawriter
.