RELEASE: Giffords Endorses Representative Joe Courtney for Reelection to Congress in Connecticut

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 Joe Courtney in Connecticut’s second congressional district.

Congressman Joe Courtney is committed to keeping Connecticut communities safe from gun violence. Congressman Courtney supports expanding background checks, restarting federal research into gun violence, allowing the temporary removal of guns from individuals in crisis, and repealing legal immunity for firearms manufacturers. In December, he voted against dangerous concealed carry reciprocity legislation—the gun lobby’s top priority.

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 in 2016. Connecticut has not been immune to this deadly crisis: somebody is killed by a gun in Connecticut every 3 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 Courtney, who has the courage to stand up to the corporate gun lobby and who will never stop working to make Connecticut 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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