Newtown gun control group endorses Joe Biden

Joe Biden has received his third endorsement from a major national gun control group in as many days, this time from the Newtown Action Alliance.

The group was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, which killed 26 people, including 20 children. Biden also received the support of Everytown for Gun Safety and the Brady Campaign in recent days.

Newtown Action Alliance chairwoman Po Murray says in a statement Biden’s “support for gun violence prevention has never wavered.” The group notes the former vice president was appointed by president Barack Obama to lead a gun control task force after the 2012 Newtown massacre.

The endorsement is another indication Bernie Sanders’ spotty record on gun control could weigh him down in the Democratic presidential primary. Michigan and five other states are voting Tuesday at a critical point in the race.

Sanders has a D-minus rating from the National Rifle Association. But the Vermont senator has been criticized by opponents and gun control advocates for past opposition to background check legislation and support for shielding gun manufacturers from lawsuits over misuse of their guns.

— AP