Giffords Endorses Lisa Brown for Congress
The endorsement comes as part of Giffords’ #VoteCourage Campaign to elect gun reform candidates nationwide
March 21, 2018 – Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, announced its endorsement of Lisa Brown, candidate for Washington’s 5th congressional district. Brown is one of 12 candidates Giffords endorsed today as part of its #VoteCourage campaign to elect gun safety champions.
Brown served two terms in the state House of Representatives from 1992-1996 before being elected to the Washington state Senate in 1996 where she was appointed chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. She was also the first Democratic woman in the state to serve as Senate Majority Leader. Moved by the Spokane Country school shooting that occurred at Freeman High School last September, Brown has publicly stated her belief that gun violence is a public health crisis, and supports banning bump stocks, closing background check loopholes.
“Lisa Brown is an outspoken advocate who’s committed to fighting for real solutions to America’s gun violence crisis,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords. “Lisa has refused to accept contributions from the NRA, and instead has asked parents, students, teachers, public health experts, and law enforcement for their input on how to create safer gun laws. At a time when so many Americans are crying out for action against gun violence, we need leaders like Lisa more than ever.”
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.
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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.