Giffords Endorses Kathy Manning for Congress in North Carolina
These endorsements come 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 Kathy Manning, candidate for North Carolina’s 13th congressional district. Manning is one of 13 candidates Giffords endorsed today as part of its #VoteCourage campaign to elect gun safety champions.
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords:
“Kathy exemplifies what Washington is most in need of – a self-starting, results-oriented leader who knows how to get things done. Congress needs people like Kathy who will stand up to the gun lobby and won’t take no for an answer when it comes to better protecting Americans from gun violence.”
Kathy Manning is a local businesswoman, community leader, mom, and former chair of one of the world’s largest charitable organizations. Kathy has brought people together to improve education and provide relief to people who lost jobs during the economic downturn including job retraining and mortgage assistance. Kathy also served as a partner in a major law firm in Greensboro for 16 years before leaving to start her own business. Kathy has also been deeply involved with the United Way of Greater Greensboro, The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, and spearheaded major projects like building the Children’s Museum of Greensboro, founding Triad Stage, and the creation of the new Greensboro Performing Arts Center. Throughout her career, Kathy has worked tirelessly to spur economic development in North Carolina’s 13th District to attract new businesses for the community.
Kathy understands the importance of economic opportunity, good paying jobs, accessible and affordable health care, and the education and training necessary to prepare people for the jobs of the future. She has spent her life bringing people together to make our community a better place for all, and she is ready to take her skills and determination to Washington to fight for the people of our community and our country. As a U.S. Representative, Kathy will put party aside, put country first and focus on creating economic growth we all share.
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.