Murphy to help Clinton’s New Hampshire campaign

Sen. Chris Murphy

Washington — U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is travelling to New Hampshire next week to help sell Hillary Clinton’s gun safety plan in a state with strong gun rights supporters.

Unlike Connecticut, New Hampshire does not require licensing of gun owners and allows residents to carry concealed firearms.

Nevertheless, Murphy hopes to convince voters in that state to embrace expanded  FBI checks of potential gun purchasers and other “common-sense” gun safety measures Clinton is backing. That may not be a tough job among Democratic primary voters, who tend to be more liberal.

Clinton’s main Democratic rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, has been criticized by liberals for voting against gun reforms in the past.

After Saturday’s Democratic debate in the Granite State, where Clinton is likely to pitch her gun control plan, Murphy plans to travel to New Hampshire Tuesday to join the Democratic front runner for the White House at events across the state.

His office said he will meet with supporters and undecided voters at a house party in Derry, meet with a local chapter of the gun control group Moms Demand Action in Portsmouth and join volunteers at a phone bank in Hampton.

“At the events Murphy will share why he supports Hillary Clinton and discuss her plan to reduce gun violence, which she first introduced at a town hall in Manchester in October,” a statement from Murphy’s office said.