Bloomberg defends super PAC anti-gun ads in IL

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2012 file photo, Illinois state Sen. Toi Hutchinson speaks during a candidate presentation at the 2nd Congressional District slating meeting in South Holland, Ill. Hutchinson dropped her bid Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013 for the U.S. House seat vacated by Jesse Jackson Jr., narrowing the field and consolidating key support behind another Democrat in a race where gun control has emerged as a central issue. (AP Photo/John Smierciak, File)
In this Feb. 7, 2013 photo, from left Gail Mahome, Dr. Willie Wilson and Dr. John Gray, smile at a news conference in Chicago, as they join other members of the International Ministers & Community Alliance in endorsing Robin Kelly, center, a former Illinois state representative and Democratic hopeful running in a special primary election Feb. 26 for Illinois' 2nd District seat to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. who resigned in November 2012. Like much of the national conversation these days, the race to replace Jackson Congress has been dominated by one topic: guns. Nearly half of 2nd District voters live on the South Side of Chicago, where some of the nation’s worst gun violence has been heavily concentrated. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
In this Feb. 7, 2013 photo, Anthony Beale, a Democratic hopeful for Illinois' 2nd District seat, speaks at a news conference in Chicago. Beale is one of more than a dozen candidates running in a special primary election Feb. 26 to replace former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. who resigned in November 2012. Like much of the national conversation these days, the race to replace Jackson in Congress has been dominated by one topic: guns. Nearly half of 2nd District voters live on the South Side of Chicago, where some of the nation’s worst gun violence has been heavily concentrated. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
FILE - In the Dec. 15, 2012, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson speaks during a candidate presentation at the 2nd Congressional District slating meeting in South Holland, Ill. Halvorson is one of more than a dozen candidates running in a special primary election Feb. 26 to replace former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. who resigned in November 2012. Like much of the national conversation these days, the race to replace Jackson in Congress has been dominated by one topic: guns. Nearly half of 2nd District voters live on the South Side of Chicago, where some of the nation’s worst gun violence has been heavily concentrated. (AP Photo/John Smierciak, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2012 file photo, Illinois state Sen. Toi Hutchinson speaks during a candidate presentation at the 2nd Congressional District slating meeting in South Holland, Ill. Hutchinson is one of more than a dozen candidates running in a special primary election Feb. 26 to replace former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. who resigned in November 2012. Like much of the national conversation these days, the race to replace Jackson in Congress has been dominated by one topic: guns. Nearly half of 2nd District voters live on the South Side of Chicago, where some of the nation’s worst gun violence has been heavily concentrated. (AP Photo/John Smierciak, File)
One of Ed Koch's nephews says everyone has a story about his uncle and his outsized personality. Many friends, family and political officials shared them Monday as they honored the late mayor of New York City at a memorial service in Manhattan. (Feb. 4)
FILE - In this Wednesday, March 25, 2009 file photo, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, left, listens as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y. The clock is ticking for New York City and the union representing 75,000 public school teachers to agree on a system for evaluating teachers or risk losing $450 million in state aid and grants. With a Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013 deadline looming, negotiations on the evaluation plan resumed during the previous week for the first time since mid-December. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday that his state suffered $32 billion in damage from Superstorm Sandy. He also said Sandy caused much more damage than Hurricane Katrina. (Nov. 27)

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2012 file photo, Illinois state Sen. Toi Hutchinson speaks during a candidate presentation at the 2nd Congressional District slating meeting in South Holland, Ill. Hutchinson dropped her bid Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013 for the U.S. House seat vacated by Jesse Jackson Jr., narrowing the field and consolidating key support behind another Democrat in a race where gun control has emerged as a central issue. (AP Photo/John Smierciak, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2012 file photo, Illinois state Sen. Toi Hutchinson speaks during a candidate presentation at the 2nd Congressional District slating meeting in South Holland, Ill. Hutchinson dropped her bid Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013 for the U.S. House seat vacated by Jesse Jackson Jr., narrowing the field and consolidating key support behind another Democrat in a race where gun control has emerged as a central issue. (AP Photo/John Smierciak, File)
In this Feb. 7, 2013 photo, from left Gail Mahome, Dr. Willie Wilson and Dr. John Gray, smile at a news conference in Chicago, as they join other members of the International Ministers & Community Alliance in endorsing Robin Kelly, center, a former Illinois state representative and Democratic hopeful running in a special primary election Feb. 26 for Illinois' 2nd District seat to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. who resigned in November 2012. Like much of the national conversation these days, the race to replace Jackson Congress has been dominated by one topic: guns. Nearly half of 2nd District voters live on the South Side of Chicago, where some of the nation’s worst gun violence has been heavily concentrated. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
In this Feb. 7, 2013 photo, Anthony Beale, a Democratic hopeful for Illinois' 2nd District seat, speaks at a news conference in Chicago. Beale is one of more than a dozen candidates running in a special primary election Feb. 26 to replace former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. who resigned in November 2012. Like much of the national conversation these days, the race to replace Jackson in Congress has been dominated by one topic: guns. Nearly half of 2nd District voters live on the South Side of Chicago, where some of the nation’s worst gun violence has been heavily concentrated. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
FILE - In the Dec. 15, 2012, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson speaks during a candidate presentation at the 2nd Congressional District slating meeting in South Holland, Ill. Halvorson is one of more than a dozen candidates running in a special primary election Feb. 26 to replace former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. who resigned in November 2012. Like much of the national conversation these days, the race to replace Jackson in Congress has been dominated by one topic: guns. Nearly half of 2nd District voters live on the South Side of Chicago, where some of the nation’s worst gun violence has been heavily concentrated. (AP Photo/John Smierciak, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2012 file photo, Illinois state Sen. Toi Hutchinson speaks during a candidate presentation at the 2nd Congressional District slating meeting in South Holland, Ill. Hutchinson is one of more than a dozen candidates running in a special primary election Feb. 26 to replace former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. who resigned in November 2012. Like much of the national conversation these days, the race to replace Jackson in Congress has been dominated by one topic: guns. Nearly half of 2nd District voters live on the South Side of Chicago, where some of the nation’s worst gun violence has been heavily concentrated. (AP Photo/John Smierciak, File)
One of Ed Koch's nephews says everyone has a story about his uncle and his outsized personality. Many friends, family and political officials shared them Monday as they honored the late mayor of New York City at a memorial service in Manhattan. (Feb. 4)
FILE - In this Wednesday, March 25, 2009 file photo, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, left, listens as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y. The clock is ticking for New York City and the union representing 75,000 public school teachers to agree on a system for evaluating teachers or risk losing $450 million in state aid and grants. With a Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013 deadline looming, negotiations on the evaluation plan resumed during the previous week for the first time since mid-December. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday that his state suffered $32 billion in damage from Superstorm Sandy. He also said Sandy caused much more damage than Hurricane Katrina. (Nov. 27)

CHICAGO () — Mayor waded deeper Tuesday into the Chicago-area election to replace former Rep. Jesse Jr., defending his super 's $2 million in anti-gun ads attacking a former congresswoman and candidate in the race.

Gun control has emerged as a main issue on the campaign trail, and television commercials and mailers paid for by Bloomberg's super PAC, Independence USA, have been brought up in candidate forums, news conferences and biting emails from the 20 candidates who'll appear on the Feb. 26 primary ballot.

The ads focused on two Democrats, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson and state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, who have had high ratings from the National Rifle Association. Then Hutchinson unexpectedly dropped out of the race last week and put her support behind another Democrat front-runner, former state Rep. Robin Kelly, who supports an assault weapons ban. Halvorson, who doesn't support a ban, has since accused Bloomberg of trying to "buy an election" and colluding with Kelly.

Bloomberg, a vocal advocate of strict gun control, said his concern is beefing up gun laws and said — without naming a candidate — that the NRA has convinced lawmakers that they can't win without the organization's support.

"It's just an outrage, and the public ... should stand up," he told reporters in New York. "I'm part of the public. I happen to have some money, and that's what I'm going to do with my money — try to get us some sensible gun laws."

It's not surprising for the Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent to take such a vocal stance on guns: He's the co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns and has spoken widely on the issue. But singling out one race on the issue is a bit more unusual, and the action has drawn attention since it's mid-cycle.

Bloomberg launched his super PAC weeks before the November election and spent more than $12 million to back seven candidates nationwide. Guns were an issue in the election of newly-elected Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod, a California Democrat who ousted incumbent Democrat Rep. Joe Baca with Bloomberg's help. However, Bloomberg's backing hasn't always equaled success. His super PAC supported former Rep. Robert Dold, R-Ill., who lost to a Democratic businessman, Rep. Brad Schneider.

Bloomberg said there wasn't anything in particular about the Illinois race that prompted his involvement, aside from attention to gun violence.

Halvorson — who favors universal background checks and strict gun registrations but not an assault weapons ban — and other candidates said they didn't buy it.

"He's trying to buy a seat in Congress is what he's trying to do," she said.

Halvorson, Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale and others said the super PAC money had compromised the election. Halvorson wants a Federal Election Commission investigation. FEC officials said Tuesday they hadn't received a complaint.

Guns became a main topic early in the race in Illinois' 2nd District, which spans dense neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side, some south suburbs and more rural areas. The territory is largely Democratic, meaning the Democratic winner of next week's primary is most likely headed to Washington.

Kelly has gained momentum with key endorsements in recent days. She dismissed any notions of working with Bloomberg, which is prohibited. Super PACs are allowed to give unlimited money, but it's illegal to coordinate with candidates.

However, her opponents have blasted her campaign since Hutchinson abruptly left the race days before the election, which Halvorson called "bizarre."

Jackson, who first won the seat in 1995, resigned in November, citing his health and acknowledging he was under federal investigation. Federal prosecutors charged him last week with conspiracy for allegedly spending campaign money on personal expenses. He's agreed to plead guilty.

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Peltz reported from New York.