Giffords Endorses Joseph Kopser for Congress in Texas
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 Joseph Kopser in Texas’ 21st 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 Joseph Kopser, who will always put protecting the safety of our communities first, not themselves, and certainly not the gun lobby. Joseph’s career in the United States Army proves he has what it takes to take on the biggest challenges and fight for solutions that will keep our schools, streets, churches and communities safe. Giffords is proud to endorse Joseph Kopser for Congress, a leader with the courage stand up to the corporate gun lobby and someone who will never stop working to make Texas’s communities safer.”
Joseph Kopser is a proven leader who will be an unwavering champion of gun violence prevention in Congress. Over his career in the US Army and during his time building a business in Texas, Joseph has demonstrated the ability to bring people together to solve complex problems. Those skills will be required of him in Congress, where he will work with anyone who shares his commitment to saving lives in our country.
Joseph’s opponent, Chip Roy, received the endorsement of the Gun Owners of America, a radical far-right organization that proudly brags of being more extreme than the NRA. Facing a tough fight from a veteran, Roy’s campaign has already resorted to the gun lobby’s desperate scare tactics. In Congress, he will undoubtedly prioritize the bottom line of corporate gun manufacturers over the lives of Texans.
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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