In Key Virginia Swing District, Giffords PAC’s $1 Million Ad Campaign Exposes Incumbent Barbara Comstock’s Weak Gun Safety Record and Helps Boost Challenger Jennifer Wexton’s Lead Ahead of Election Day

Washington, DC — A new survey from Giffords PAC, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, shows a $1 million ad campaign in Virginia’s 10th congressional district helped expose incumbent Barbara Comstock’s weak record on gun safety – driving down her favorability and boosting challenger Jennifer Wexton’s standing with voters. Comstock has an A rating from the NRA and was one of the NRA’s top campaign beneficiaries. Her district is in the backyard of the NRA’s headquarters.

From August 28 to October 8, Giffords ran two 30-second ads (ad 1 ; ad  2) exposing Barbara Comstock for taking thousands of dollars from the NRA while opposing laws that would reduce gun violence. Two polls, taken before and after the ad campaign for the survey, reveal that Giffords PAC helped diminish Comstock’s favorability by as a much as 10 points while contributing to Jennifer Wexton expanding her lead by at least 3 points. The findings make clear that two-thirds of voters consider guns a top issue for this election and the Giffords PAC made them more knowledgeable about Comstock’s position on guns and the NRA.

“Voters in Virginia deserve better than Barbara Comstock and our ad campaign makes clear she has failed to keep her constituents safe,” said Peter Ambler, executive director at Giffords. “As Americans have demanded leaders address our ongoing gun violence epidemic, Comstock looked the other way. But voters are fed up with a Congress that has failed in their basic moral responsibility to keep them safe and are ready to vote out those who have contributed to the problem. We made sure this election, people in Virginia understand that Comstock remains in the NRA’s pocket – even as gun violence continues to threaten our streets, schools, workplaces, and public spaces. The results of our campaign show that Jennifer Wexton’s courageous commitment to keep guns out of dangerous hands is resonating with the electorate and could be a critical difference in bringing a gun safety majority to Congress next year.”

 Click here to read the results of the survey 

In a congressional district where Comstock has won tough races in the past her favorability dropped from 42 percent favorable/42 percent unfavorable in August to 40 percent/50 percent today, after the ad campaign aired.

Additional Key Takeaways:

• Voters are now 9 points more likely to say it is “definitely true” that Comstock has an A rating from the NRA (61% total “true” and that Comstock has taken money from the NRA (61% total “true”).
• In August, nearly half of voters (47%) doubted that “Barbara Comstock opposes background checks on all gun sales.” But after advertising, those doubts diminished and only 38% now believe the statement is false.
• Prior to the ad campaign, voters believed that Comstock “stands up to special interests” by a two-point margin. Now, by nine points, voters believe that statement is false.
• Two-thirds of voters (69%) consider “guns” a major issue when deciding whom to vote for this November, trailing only healthcare at 76 percent. Gun issues are more important to voters than a candidate’s position on Trump, taxes, women’s rights, or the environment.

The advertisements appeared on televisions across Virginia’s 10th district as part of an ongoing $1 million campaign. They were shown across cable and appeared heavily in Loudoun and Fairfax. The ads made clear that Comstock has taken hundreds of thousands from the NRA and supported their positions despite overwhelming public support for stronger background checks. 

 The first ad in the campaign featured Giffords speaking directly to Comstock’s failed record. The second ad called out Congresswoman Comstock for her failure to close the federal background check loophole that allows criminals to buy firearms. Comstock was part of Giffords initial #VoteThemOut list because of her A-rating from the NRA which led to the group making her one of their 10 biggest campaign beneficiaries. She has previously supported concealed carry reciprocity and allowing guns in restaurants while opposing a firearm registry, background checks, a semi-automatic ban, and a one-gun-per-month sales limit.

Background on the Giffords 2018 Political Program

The initial step to the political program this year began in the hours after the Parkland shooting, when Giffords used #VoteCourage to get people to pledge to support candidates in November who will stand up to the gun lobby and fight for safer communities. In less than a week more than 450,000 Americans took the pledge.

Following the #VoteCourage pledge, Giffords began this ongoing, robust political program to shine a light on incumbents’ record of prioritizing the interests of the gun industry over public safety. It is encouraging voters to support candidates with the courage to stand up to the gun lobby. Along with the digital advertisements going out today and the website database, the program will include TV advertising, on-the-ground organizing and events, and a voter registration push.

 Giffords launched a partnership with NextGen America and Everytown for Gun safety on a voter registration effort that is committing an initial $1.5 million to seek to get up to 50,000 Americans aged 18-19 registered for the midterm elections. In 2017, Giffords launched its candidate training program to help educate candidates who want to run on a gun safety platform and plans to expand the program in 2018.

The mass shooting at Parkland, in Florida, crystallized the country’s frustration with the lack of any action to pass gun safety laws. Gun death rates have climbed to levels not seen in decades. Currently, the country is averaging nearly 34,000 deaths from guns every year, and recent polling shows that support for stronger gun laws is at an all-time high.

Last November saw gun safety champions win commandingly across the country – from statewide races in Virginia and New Jersey to a key state senate seat in Washington state. The elections sparked what has become known as the suburban rebellion in the districts that will matter to who will have control of Congress next year.

A recent public opinion survey released by Giffords also shows that gun safety is a winning issue in districts key to determining control of the House of Representatives. The poll looked into 38 battleground districts that are largely Republican-held. The results proved that embracing gun safety could be the difference-maker for Democrats in key swing districts, particularly because support for stronger gun laws remains high and the National Rifle Association’s favorability is on a downward trend.

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