Giffords Endorses Slate of Gun Safety Champions for Florida State Legislature
The endorsement comes as part of the Giffords #VoteCourage Campaign to elect gun reform candidates nationwide
October 15, 2018 — Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, announced its endorsement of six candidates for Florida state legislature.
Florida has a chance to elect a gun safety majority to the state legislature this November for the first time in decades. In the wake of a tragic string of mass shootings, voters are no longer accepting politicians who are beholden to the gun lobby. They are demanding leaders with the courage to stand up for lifesaving gun safety measures and who will oppose dangerous policies, including attempts to arm teachers. Our endorsed candidates are united in their belief that more needs to be done to ensure that Floridians can live free from the threat of gun violence.
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. Florida has suffered from this crisis: somebody is killed by a gun in Florida every 3 hours. Despite this devastating reality, the gun lobby continues to use its cash and influence to try and stop state legislatures from passing laws to make our schools, streets, and communities safer.
“The candidates we are endorsing today acknowledge the toll of gun violence in their state, and they are working to stop it. Their leadership will be critical for our next victories in Florida to prevent future tragedies. Giffords is proud to endorse these leaders, who have the courage to stand up to the corporate gun lobby and who will never stop working to save lives.”
The newly-endorsed candidates include:
- Kayser Enneking – Senate District 8
- Amanda Murphy – Senate District 16
- Janet Cruz – Senate District 18
- Lindsay Cross – Senate District 24
- Anna Eskamani – House District 47
The 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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Giffords is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.