RELEASE: Giffords Endorses Representatives Leonard Lance and Chris Smith for Reelection to Congress in New Jersey

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 Leonard Lance in New Jersey’s seventh congressional district and Chris Smith in New Jersey’s fourth congressional district.

Congressman Lance is a problem-solving representative who supports expanding background checks, empowering families and law enforcement to petition courts to temporarily remove firearms from people in crisis, and restarting federal research into gun violence. After the Las Vegas shooting, Congressman Lance was one of the first members of Congress to cosponsor a bipartisan bill to ban bump stocks. Congressman Lance was also just one of two Republicans to vote against legislation that would have made it easier for at-risk veterans to purchase firearms.

Congressman Chris Smith has served in Congress for more than three decades and knows that in order to make progress, one must reach across the aisle. He supports expanding background checks and banning bump stocks. In December, Congressman Smith voted against concealed carry reciprocity legislation, which would force states to allow potentially untrained, unlicensed individuals to carry hidden, loaded guns in more places. He also opposes the deregulation of gun silencers, another top priority of the gun lobby.

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. New Jersey has not been immune to this deadly crisis: somebody is killed by a gun in New Jersey every 18 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 Representatives Leonard Lance and Chris Smith, who have the courage to stand up to the corporate gun lobby and who will never stop working to make New Jersey 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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