NEW ADS: Giffords PAC Launches Digital Ad Campaign Supporting Omar Montgomery for Mayor of Aurora
New $50,000 digital campaign highlights Mike Coffman’s abysmal record on gun safety
October 9, 2019 – Giffords PAC announced a new $50,000 ad campaign supporting gun safety champion Omar Montgomery in the Aurora mayoral race against Mike Coffman, long in the pocket of the gun lobby. Launched today, “Mike Coffman: NRA’s Yes Man” contrasts the voting record of former National Rifle Association (NRA) A-rated Congressman Mike Coffman with Omar Montgomery, a gun violence survivor who is prepared to address this public safety threat.
“When the candidates for mayor of Aurora include a gun violence survivor with a strong commitment to his community and an NRA ally trying to claw his way back into power, voters must know the stakes,” said Joanna Belanger, political director at Giffords. “Coloradans kicked Mike Coffman out of Washington in 2018, yet he’s resurfaced to try a comeback in Aurora. We won’t stand for it, and we’re proud to support a strong leader like Omar Montgomery. As Election Day nears, these ads will send a clear message to voters that the choice for mayor is simple: a committed public servant who cares about the safety of his community, or a failed politician with NRA cash in the bank.”
WATCH THE AD: “MIKE COFFMAN: NRA’S YES MAN”
The $50,000 digital campaign follows a recent trip by former Congresswoman Giffords to Montgomery’s campaign headquarters to announce her endorsement of his candidacy. During a press conference at the headquarters, she explained why Omar is the right choice over NRA-favorite Mike Coffman. Montgomery is a longtime community leader in Aurora. A survivor of gun violence himself, he has spoken out and urged his community, which has had more than its share of gun violence, to lead the state by putting public safety first.
Former Congressman Mike Coffman is a longtime NRA ally who has staunchly refused to take any action to stop America’s gun violence epidemic. While in Congress, Coffman enthusiastically backed NRA-supported bills like concealed carry reciprocity, loosening restrictions on interstate gun sales, and a bill legitimizing hunting and shooting on federal lands. In 2018, Giffords PAC spent nearly $1.5 million in opposition to Coffman’s reelection.
Giffords also took to the airwaves this year to urge Senator Cory Gardner to support universal background checks after a summer of terrible tragedies. The Republican senator, whom the NRA consistently awards an ‘A’ rating, demanded that Senator Gardner and his Republican colleagues can no longer wait to address the horrific national public safety threat that is gun violence.
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence’s Annual Gun Law Scorecard found that Colorado received a “C” for the strength of its gun laws. While Colorado did not pass any significant gun safety legislation in 2018, gun safety advocates successfully defeated two dangerous gun lobby–backed bills, one to allow permitless carry and another to permit guns in K–12 schools.