Congresswoman Betty McCollum has always led a life focused on service, from working as a social studies teacher, to running for the North St. Paul City Council to make communities safer after her daughter suffered a serious injury while playing on a slide at her local park, to her multiple terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives, to most recently serving as the voice for her community on Capitol Hill for nearly three decades in Congress. In every role, this mother on a mission has made it her goal to improve outcomes, create opportunities for Minnesotans, and make a difference in the lives of others by tackling some of the toughest issues facing her district—including America’s epidemic of gun violence.

In office, Congresswoman McCollum has made it a top priority to keep her constituents safe and reduce the number of senseless shootings tearing apart communities and families nationwide. She has consistently supported lifesaving legislation to expand background checks to all gun sales; ban ghost guns, assault weapons, and dangerous hardware that have flooded our streets; and support the lifesaving work of community violence intervention groups doing the hard work to break cycles of violence in our cities and towns. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman McCollum has helped usher in landmark research funding into the root causes of gun violence and in 2022, she joined with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first gun safety legislation to be signed into law in nearly 30 years. This legislation made gun trafficking and straw purchasing federal crimes, disarmed domestic abusers, provided funding to states to implement extreme risk protection order laws, and marked the largest investment in community violence intervention programs in American history.

Over the past two years, Minnesota has been rocked by truly devastating instances of gun violence, including the assassination of Speaker Melissa Hortman and the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School. It’s time to say enough is enough, once and for all. Now more than ever, Minnesotans need to send champions back to Washington DC who are committed to working every day to stop the devastation—and this starts with Congresswoman Betty McCollum. With her continuing to lead the way on this issue, we know that a brighter, safer future will be within reach for families across the Fourth District.

We are proud to endorse Betty McCollum for the US House of Representatives.