RELEASE: Giffords Endorses Representative Ben Ray Luján for Reelection to Congress in New Mexico

August 17, 2018

The endorsement comes as part of the Giffords #VoteCourage Campaign to elect gun reform candidates nationwide

Washington, DC — Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, announced its endorsement of Ben Ray Luján in New Mexico’s third congressional district.

Congressman Ben Ray Luján has brought his leadership to Congress since 2009. A co-sponsor of legislation to expand background checks, Congressman Luján also supports a prohibition on gun access for abusive dating partners and stalkers, a ban on bump stocks, and restarting federal research into gun violence. He has shown a commendable evolution on gun safety, reversing his vote for concealed carry reciprocity in 2011 to a vote against the policy in 2017.

Statement from 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. New Mexico has not been immune to this deadly crisis: somebody is killed by a gun in New Mexico every 24 hours. 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 safer. “The Members of Congress we are endorsing today acknowledge the devastating toll of our nation’s gun violence crisis, and they are working to combat it. Their leadership will be critical for our next victories in Congress to save lives and prevent future tragedies. Giffords is proud to endorse Representative Ben Ray Lujan, who has the courage to stand up to the corporate gun lobby and who will never stop working to make New Mexico communities safer.”

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 the Giffords 2018 political program here.

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