Giffords Endorses Katie Hobbs for Secretary of State in Arizona
The endorsement comes as part of the Giffords #VoteCourage Campaign to elect gun reform candidates nationwide
October 11, 2018— Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, announced its endorsement of Katie Hobbs for Secretary of State in Arizona.
Arizona is no stranger to gun violence. Gun tragedies continue to destroy families and rip communities apart. We must do more to protect Arizonans, and that starts by electing candidates who support strong gun laws that keep us safe. It also means protecting Arizonans’ access to the ballot box, where voters across the country are venting their frustration with our leaders’ refusal to act. Arizona’s next Secretary of State will need to work across party lines to find solutions and protect the integrity of our elections. Katie Hobbs has a proven track record of reaching across the aisle to find and fight for those solutions.
From national tragedies like the 2011 shooting in Tucson that claimed six lives, to the everyday violence that destroys families and rips communities apart, we must do more to protect Arizonans from gun violence. That’s why it’s so important to elect gun violence prevention champions in the Grand Canyon state this November.
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. Arizona has suffered from this crisis: somebody is killed by a gun in Arizona every nine 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.
“Katie Hobbs acknowledges the toll of gun violence in our state, and she has worked to stop it. Her leadership – on issues from ballot access to gun violence – will be critical for creating change in Arizona. Giffords is proud to endorse Katie Hobbes, who has the courage to stand up to the corporate gun lobby and who will never stop working to save lives.”
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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