Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on Historic Gun Safety Virginia Victories
November 5, 2019 — Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords released the following statement after Democrats won control of the Virginia General Assembly.
Statement from former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords;
“Tonight we sent a message to the NRA in their own backyard. The NRA’s lobbyists, money, and influence are no match for the voices of Virginians determined to make change. We made the impossible possible because of our shared belief in a safer future.
“The progress that gun safety advocates have made in Virginia is historic. It also didn’t happen overnight. It’s a testament to years of work by survivors who lost so much and vowed to save others from the same experience, advocates who showed up to town halls and public meetings to warn about the cost of inaction, and candidates who declared this time would be different.
“Change is on the horizon because Virginia voters made it happen. The new legislators headed to Richmond have a mandate to protect Virginians from gun violence. We are turning the page on an era where legislators cashed gun lobby checks while communities lived in fear of shootings.
“The champions who swept into office tonight are not afraid of the challenges to come. They will be fearless, they will persist, and they are committed in the fight to save lives.”
Related Resources
2019 Election
- Memo: Ahead of Virginia Election Night, Gun Safety Defines State’s Changed Political Dynamics
- Blog: Gun Violence Took Our Children. Virginia Lawmakers Refused to Act. We’re Voting Them Out.
- Press Release: In Final Stretch Before the Election, Giffords PAC Launches New Digital Ad Campaign Supporting Gun Safety Candidates in Virginia
- Press Release: Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Announces Virginia Swing to Endorse Gun Safety Candidates
- Memo: Public Opinion Round Up: Gun Violence in America
Virginia Background
- Memo: Virginia Republicans Repeated Blockade of Gun Safety Bills
- Report: Giffords Law Center’s Annual Gun Law Scorecard found that Virginia received a “D.” Virginia did not enact any significant new gun laws in 2018 and passed dangerous gun laws, like allowing guns in schools, in 2019.
- Fact Sheet: The State of Gun Violence in Virginia
- Release: Gun Safety Wins in Virginia in 2018
- Analysis: The Unprecedented Salience of Gun Safety in the 2017 Virginia Election