Garden State sportsmen and women showed their political clout on Election Day by throwing out two incumbent state lawmakers who repeatedly attacked the state’s hunting traditions.

Defeated were New Jersey’s 12th District lawmakers, Sen. Ellen Karcher (D-Freehold) and Assemblyman Mike Panter, (D-Shrewsbury). The two were sponsors of legislation aimed at removing sportsmen and biologists from the Fish and Game Council and allowing anti-hunting political appointees to take their place. In addition, Panter had sponsored legislation to ban bear hunting, fund the animal rights agenda, and he voted to ban certain common hunting arms and ration guns to law-abiding citizens.

Political pundits in New Jersey noted there was only one reason that the otherwise popular politicians lost their jobs: they went too far in assailing the rights and traditions of law-abiding New Jersey residents.

And the message sent was a simple one: Don’t mess with hunters and sportsmen.

More than one million hunters, anglers, and responsible gun owners reside in New Jersey. On November 6, they proved they are a force to reckon with at the polls.