ARS PAC Endorses Candidates for State Legislatures
October 17, 2016 – Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC (ARS PAC) – the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly – today announced its endorsement of 27 candidates for state-level candidates in Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington state. Citing their support for a broad set of responsible gun violence prevention policies that help keep guns out of the wrong hands and protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, ARS PAC declared these candidates its State Champions for the Vocal Majority.
The endorsements are part of ARS PAC’s “Vocal Majority” campaign this fall to mobilize millions of Americans to make the 2016 election a referendum on gun violence prevention and to support leaders up and down the ballot who are committed to taking responsible steps that reduce gun violence. ARS PAC previously announced endorsements this year in races for the United States Senate, and plans to make additional endorsements in federal races this fall.
The newly-endorsed candidates include:
Nevada Assembly
- Steve Yeager (Assembly District 9)
- Ozzie Fumo (Assembly District 21)
- Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod (Assembly District 34)
- Sandra Jauregui (Assembly District 41)
Nevada Senate
- Nicole Cannizzaro (Senate District 6)
- Devon Reese (Senate District 15)
- Alexander Marks (Senate District 18)
- Joyce Woodhouse (Senate District 05)
Oregon House
- Teresa Alonso Leon (House District 22)
- Janelle Bynum (House District 51)
- Paul Evans (House District 20)
- Janeen Sollman (House District 30)
- Mark Meek (House District 40)
- Ken Moore (House District 24)
- Gena Goodman-Campbell (House District 54)
Oregon Senate
- Laurie Monnes Anderson (Senate District 25)
Pennsylvania House
- Madeleine Dean (House District 153)
- Leanne Krueger-Braneky (House District 161)
- Dan Frankel (House District 23)
- Ed Gainey (House District 24)
Pennsylvania Senate
- Vincent Hughes (Senate District 7)
- John Sabatina Jr. (Senate District 5)
Pennsylvania Attorney General
- Josh Shapiro
Washington State House
- Marcus Riccelli (House District 3)
Washington State Senate
- Mark Mullet (Senate District 5)
- Tim Probst (Senate District 17)
- Marisa Peloquin (Senate District 28)
“To keep guns out of the wrong hands and make our communities safer, we need to elect federal and state leaders who will take on the gun lobby and work on behalf of the Vocal Majority of Americans who support commonsense gun safety proposals,” said ARS PAC Co-Founders Congresswoman Giffords and Captain Kelly. “We know that each of these leaders will take the steps necessary in their respective states to both protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners like us and make our communities safer. We are proud to endorse each of these candidates as a State Champion for the Vocal Majority and look forward to having them as a steady voice for responsibility for their constituents.”
Along with its endorsements of state-level Champions for the Vocal Majority, this year ARS PAC is making significant investments in races and ballot initiatives across the country to support pro-gun violence prevention candidates and responsible ballot initiatives. ARS is also working to hold candidates in the gun lobby’s grip accountable.
On Tuesday, September 27th, Congresswoman Giffords and Captain Kelly also launched a six-week, 14-state, 42-day nationwide bus tour – the Vocal Majority Tour – to encourage the vast number of Americans who support commonsense change to our gun laws to step up, speak out, and be catalysts for change this November. The Vocal Majority Tour is traveling to communities in battleground states and districts for grassroots events with local leaders, elected officials, and candidates to help ignite the Vocal Majority and elevate gun violence prevention in this fall’s election. After events in Ohio and Maine this past week, the Vocal Majority Tour and Congresswoman Giffords are in New Hampshire today. Follow the Vocal Majority Tour at: www.TheVocalMajority.com.