If an assault weapons ban bill came to the floor that would ban something like an AR-15, I would vote for it, Jacobs told reporters last week.

I cant in good conscience sit back and say I didnt try to do something, he added.

But on Friday, Jacobs announced he would abandon his bid for reelection after intense backlash from his own party, including from local party leaders who pulled their support, The Buffalo News reported .

Though he scored a 92% rating with the gun rights group Gun Owners of America and was endorsed by the NRA in 2020 , Jacobs said the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings changed his perspective on easy access to assault weapons.