SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Jim Carlin, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate and former Iowa state senator, pledged Thursday that when elected, he will sponsor or support legislation establishing national concealed carry reciprocity, allowing law-abiding gun owners with a state-issued concealed carry permit to carry firearms across state lines without fear of conflicting state laws.
Carlin, a U.S. Army veteran and strong advocate for Second Amendment rights, highlighted his record of supporting Iowa’s 2021 Constitutional carry law, which eliminated the need for permits to carry handguns in Iowa.
Unlike incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst, who voted in favor of federal funding incentives for states to implement red-flag laws, Carlin is unapologetically supportive of the Second Amendment. According to Carlin, the red-flag laws Ernst supports undermine due process and gun owners’ rights by allowing temporary firearm seizures without a conviction.
“Red-flag laws, incentivized by federal dollars, represent a slippery slope toward eroding our Constitutional freedoms,” Carlin said. “As a state senator, I proudly voted for Iowa’s Constitutional carry law to empower citizens to protect themselves without unnecessary government barriers. In the U.S. Senate, I’ll fight for national reciprocity of concealed carry laws to ensure a citizen’s rights aren’t stripped away when they cross state lines.”
Carlin argued that the current patchwork of state laws creates absurd situations for responsible gun owners.
“It’s ridiculous that you can be in one state, carrying your firearm legally, having passed required background checks for a concealed carry permit, and simply by driving through another state, you could suddenly be guilty of committing a crime,” Carlin said. “If your driver’s license works in all 50 states, so should your concealed carry permit. This isn’t about expanding rights—it’s about recognizing them uniformly.”
According to Carlin, the federal government has Constitutional authority to enact such legislation under the Full Faith and Credit Clause in Article IV, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution. That provision requires states to respect the public acts, records and judicial proceedings of other states, much like mutual recognition of driver’s licenses or marriage certificates. Combined with the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms, this framework allows Congress to preempt conflicting state laws and ensure nationwide reciprocity for permit holders.
“Your Constitutional right to carry a gun shouldn’t end at a state line,” said Carlin. “Additionally, gun control laws don’t work for obvious reasons. Thugs and gangbangers aren’t tripping over themselves to follow anti-gun laws, just look at Chicago.”
Carlin’s pledge comes amid ongoing debates over gun rights in Iowa and nationally, where supporters argue reciprocity would enhance personal safety for travelers.
“The choice is clear: If you value your right to own guns and carry them legally across state lines, you’ll support Jim Carlin for U.S. Senate,” he said.
Carlin, who served in the Iowa Senate from 2017 to 2023, is challenging Ernst in the 2026 Republican primary. His campaign emphasizes America First policies, fiscal responsibility and a return to conservative Christian values.
For more information, visit carlinforussenate.com.
About Jim Carlin:
Jim Carlin is Christian, husband, father and grandfather. He is a Constitutional conservative, U.S. Army veteran and former Iowa state senator running for U.S. Senate to challenge incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst. Carlin is a Sioux City attorney, who served in the Iowa assembly from 2017-2023, fighting for America First policies like secure borders, fiscal responsibility and Second Amendment rights. Carlin voted for Iowa’s Constitutional carry law and opposes endless wars and wasteful spending. Committed to faith, family, freedom and limited government, Carlin pledges to put Iowa values first in Washington.
