Giffords Endorses Gretchen Whitmer for Governor in Michigan

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

October 24, 2018 — Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, announced its endorsement of Gretchen Whitmer for governor in Michigan. 

Gretchen Whitmer is a leader with a proven record of bringing people together to improve the lives of families in her home state of Michigan. In the State Senate, Gretchen worked to advance commonsense gun safety measures. As Ingham County Prosecutor, she established a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit in order to keep families safe. Gretchen knows that too many Michigan communities live in daily fear of gun violence, which is why she supports funding for evidence-based violence intervention programs and measures to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers.

Statement from former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords:

“America experienced three of the deadliest mass shootings in modern history in a five-month span. Over 38,000 people in our country were killed by a gun in 2016. Michigan has not been immune to this deadly crisis—somebody is killed by a gun in the state every seven hours. Gretchen understands the toll this epidemic takes on Michigan communities.

“We are endorsing Gretchen today because she acknowledges the heartbreak gun violence causes in her state, and she is working to stop it. Her leadership will be critical for our next victories in Michigan to prevent future tragedies. Giffords is proud to back Gretchen Whitmer, who has the courage to stand up to the corporate gun lobby.”

The Giffords #VoteCourage campaign aims to elect gun safety advocates to local, state, and federal office and defeat politicians who have historically worked against gun reform, or done nothing at all to prevent gun violence.

 Learn More about the Giffords 2018 political program here. 

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