Gabrielle Giffords on Gun Safety Victories in the US House of Representatives
Washington, DC – Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords released the following statement after the Democratic Party officially won enough seats in the 2018 midterm election to win a majority for the 116th Congress:
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords:
“They said the NRA was too powerful. They said it had too much money, too much influence. That their lobbyists had bought too many politicians. They told us to be scared. They told us change wasn’t possible. But we knew better. We knew Americans would stand with us and fight for a safer future. Tonight, we proved them wrong, and we beat the NRA—together.
“For the first time ever, candidates—including candidates in the toughest and most critical swing districts—boldly ran on gun safety platforms, and won. At Giffords, we locked horns with the NRA, in important house battlegrounds, and came away with victories in states like Virginia, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arizona, Minnesota, and Texas.
“The transformation we witnessed in the House tonight—and the momentous cultural and political shift we’ve witnessed on this issue this year—will lead to safer gun laws that will save lives. We’re committed to bringing the same fight that we brought to the 2018 midterms to the new Congress. Change is on the horizon.
“When we launched our organization in 2013 after the horrific school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, our goal was to challenge the gun lobby. To make sure public safety was always prioritized over gun industry profits. To fight for a future where our children wouldn’t grow up fearing the sound of gunfire. Six years ago, the problem wasn’t that the NRA couldn’t lose—the problem was that not enough people were challenging them.
“Together with millions of Americans, we’ve changed that. In the six years since our organization was founded, we’ve had both victories and defeats. Throughout it all, we’ve persisted. When you’re fighting to save lives, the stakes are simply too high to walk away. Tonight’s election shows, as Martin Luther King once said, that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. We’re committed to keep fighting for justice, no matter how long it takes.”
Giffords Election Resources
- Memo: Giffords Elevates Gun Safety Champions; Takes on NRA in Congressional Battlegrounds This memo recaps our midterm efforts. Giffords launched nearly $7 million in independent expenditures and endorsed 300 candidates in 34 states. Gabby and Mark traveled to 27 districts to campaign with candidates. In all our work, we leaned heavily on the fear of gun violence within suburban communities—especially the fears of mass shootings at schools and other public venues.
- Press Release: Gun Safety & The 2018 Midterms Below is a snapshot of how the debate on guns has changed in the past year and how it could impact the 2018 midterms and beyond.
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