FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Tim D'Annunzio admits it was more of an attention-getter than a fundraiser.
One of five Republicans in the running for the state's 8th Congressional seat, D'Annunzio's campaign organized Thursday's "Machine Gun Social" at an indoor gun range to generate interest in his candidacy.
He also hopes to stand out in a crowded field of candidates a little more than two months from the primary.
"We won’t make a lot of money off of it," D'Annunzio told NewsChannel 36. "It’s more about the buzz."
About 100 supporters were expected to fire Uzis and MP5 submachine guns, paying $25 per magazine to let bullets fly at paper targets.
"It’s definitely not politics as usual," said David Schott, a self-described independent conservative who made the three-hour drive from Charlotte to participate in the event Thursday evening.
Schott said the mix of barbecue and bullets was an interesting way to attract likely voters to D'Annunzio's campaign events.
"Hearing his message is much more important. That fires up the conservative base," Schott said.
Fund raising at a firing range is not unheard of in North Carolina politics.
D'Annunzio said he got the idea from Vernon Robinson, a Republican who held a similar fundraiser in 2004 before he lost to Virginia Foxx in the state's 5th Congressional District.
He said his campaign had heard from people who did not understand his fund raising event.
"There are people who don’t believe in the second amendment," said D'Annunzio. "The constitution says 'the right to bear arms shall not be infringed' and I have no authority to go outside of that."
As of December 31, the most recent records on file with the Federal Elections Commission, D'Annunzio's campaign had far more cash on hand than his Republican challengers, and had spent more than $250,000.
Records show he loaned $250,000 to his campaign.
Louis Huddleston, a Fayetteville businessman had about $73,000 in his campaign account as of December 31, according to federal records.
Whomever wins the May 4 Republican primary in the 8th Congressional District, which stretches from Charlotte to Fayetteville, will likely face Democratic incumbent Larry Kissell in the fall.
A message left with a Kissell spokesperson was not immediately returned Thursday.
