Giffords Endorses Amy McGrath for Congress in Kentucky
The endorsement comes as part of Giffords’ #VoteCourage Campaign to elect gun reform candidates nationwide
July 25, 2018 — Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, announced its endorsement of Amy McGrath in Kentucky’s sixth congressional district.
“Politicians bought and paid for by the gun lobby to defend the firearms industry can no longer get away with saying thoughts and prayers and then staying silent. They can no longer say acts of violence are acts of nature, beyond our control. They are not, and the American people know it. They’re tired of politicians who claim to represent them failing to take action to keep them safe. This year, voters are demanding leaders with the courage to fight for a nation where gun violence is not a daily problem,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords. “Voters are ready to elect leaders, like Amy McGrath, who will always put protecting the safety of our communities first, not themselves, and certainly not the gun lobby. Amy’s valiant service in the Marine Corps proves she has the courage to take on our nation’s biggest challenges. Giffords is proud to endorse Amy McGrath for Congress, because she’s someone who will never stop working to make Kentucky’s schools, streets and communities safer.”
The first female Marine aviator to fly in an F-18 in combat, Amy McGrath has never been afraid to take on a challenging mission. She is running for Congress in her home state of Kentucky in order to shake up the dangerous status quo of Congress. As a veteran, Amy knows how important it is to address gun violence. She supports increased funding for Centers for Disease Control research and keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers, and terrorists.
Rather than supporting policies that could save lives, Amy’s opponent, Andy Barr, has opposed commonsense gun laws in the wake of tragedies. He voted for concealed carry reciprocity, a dangerous policy that will put Kentucky communities at risk, while refusing to support funding for research into the causes of gun violence.
Giffords’ #VoteCourage campaign is 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 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.
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