Giffords Endorses Chris Murphy for Senate in Connecticut
The endorsement comes as part of Giffords’ #VoteCourage Campaign to elect gun reform candidates nationwide
June 27, 2018 – Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, announced its endorsement of Chris Murphyfor Senate in Connecticut. Murphy now joins a growing list of endorsed candidates supported by Giffords in 2018, as part of the organization’s #VoteCourage campaign , an effort to elect gun safety champions. The organization expects to announce additional endorsements in the weeks and months to come.
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords:
“America experienced three of the deadliest mass shootings in modern history in just the past year. Over 38,000 people in our country were killed by a gun. Connecticut has not been immune to this deadly crisis: 3 people are killed by a gun in Connecticut every week. Despite this devastating reality, the gun lobby has used its cash and influence to stifle any attempts to pass laws on Capitol Hill to make our schools, streets, and communities more safe.
“The American people are outraged and tired of inaction. They are ready to use their power to demand that the leaders we elect to represent us are committed to creating a world where gun violence is not a daily problem. Voters are calling for leaders who will always put protecting the safety of our communities first, not themselves, and certainly not the gun lobby.
“Senator Murphy acknowledged the devastating toll of our nation’s gun violence crisis, and he is working tirelessly to combat it. His passion, leadership, and dedication as a leading gun safety champion will be critical for our next victories in Congress to save lives and prevent future tragedies. Giffords is proud to endorse Chris Murphy, a leader who has the courage stand up to the corporate gun lobby and who will never stop working to make Connecticut communities safer.”
After the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in his home state, Senator Chris Murphy vowed he would do everything in his power to strengthen our nation’s gun laws. As one of the most outspoken advocates for gun safety, Senator Murphy took to the Senate floor following the Senate’s inaction after the Pulse nightclub shooting and filibustered for 15 hours until he secured votes on gun safety legislation. We recognize Senator Murphy’s support of common sense measures to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals and to limit access to dangerous military-style assault weapons: notably, his work on the bipartisan Fix NICS Act, the first piece of legislation signed into law addressing American gun laws since the Sandy Hook tragedy, as well as his leadership in championing legislation to require a background check on every gun sale. Senator Murphy is a leader the people of Connecticut can count on to help make their communities safer and stronger this November. We are proud to endorse Senator Chris Murphy for Congress in 2018.
Giffords’ #VoteCourage campaign aims to elect gun safety advocates to Congress and defeat politicians who have historically worked against gun reform, or done nothing at all to prevent gun violence. The political program targets 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. Learn More about Giffords’ 2018 political program here.
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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.