Gun Safety Organization Giffords Supports Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton for Congress
The endorsement comes as part of Giffords’ #VoteCourage Campaign to bolster gun reform candidates nationwide
March 21, 2018 – Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, endorsed Greg Stanton, Mayor of Phoenix and candidate for Arizona’s 9th Congressional district. Stanton is one of 13 candidates Giffords endorsed today as part of its #VoteCourage campaign to elect gun safety champions.
“For years, Greg Stanton has been a staunch supporter of strong gun laws and a champion of public safety,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords. “Like me, Greg knows all too well that our home state of Arizona has some of the weakest gun laws in the country. Yet throughout his career, he has fought tirelessly for change right here in Phoenix. As Congress contemplates weakening our existing gun laws in the wake of three of the worst mass shootings in US history, we need to elect leaders like Greg who have consistently stood up for the safety of our communities – and will fight for solutions to reduce gun violence.”
Greg Stanton has served as Mayor of Phoenix since 2012. Upon taking office, Stanton immediately took up the fight against gun violence. He supports closing the loopholes that allow dangerous people to easily purchase firearms, funding for research on gun violence issues, and opposes concealed carry reciprocity legislation recently introduced in Congress.
Last month, Giffords launched the #VoteCourage campaign aimed at electing gun safety advocates to Congress and defeating politicians who have historically worked against gun reform, or done nothing at all to prevent gun violence. The political program is targeting incumbents in mostly suburban districts and uses a mixture of TV and digital advertising, on-the-ground organizing, and a voter registration push to create momentum for meaningful progress on gun safety.
The mass shooting at Parkland, Florida crystallized the country’s frustration with the lack of action to pass gun safety laws. Currently, the country is averaging nearly 34,000 deaths from guns every year, and recent polling shows that support for stronger gun laws is at an all-time high.
Giffords is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.