LONE STAR SWING: Giffords Endorses Slate of Gun Safety Champions in Texas

April 21, 2020

7 Texas champions are committed to fighting for commonsense gun safety laws

April 21, 2020 — Today, Giffords , the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, backed seven Texas gun safety champions for Congress in Texas. The candidates all are committed to making America’s gun violence epidemic a priority. In 2018, Giffords was central to the effort to bring a majority committed to action on gun safety to the House of Representatives, including electing leaders in Texas. These endorsements are part of a push to expand that majority in 2020.

Statement from former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords:

“Texans know what it means to be resilient. Tragedy after tragedy, they came together to support their communities with overwhelming love and support. This same spirit has led Texans to reject the gun lobby and its belief that gun violence is just a part of everyday life. They want strong leaders who will say no to the NRA and protect Texas families.

“These gun safety champions have heard the cry and are not intimidated by the gun lobby. They represent the resilience of all Texans, and will pass gun safety laws supported by a majority of Texans. That’s why we’re proud to endorse these leaders for Congress.”

Texas is no stranger to the tragic impact of gun violence or mass shootings, several of which have captured the nation’s attention in recent history. Last August, just weeks apart, mass shootings left several dead and more injured, first an El Paso Walmart, then in a shooting spree through the Midland-Odessa area. Each year, over 3,100 people die from gun violence in Texas. In the recent edition of Gifford Law Center’s Annual Gun Law Scorecard , Texas earned an F due to its weak gun laws.

After 2018, the House of Representatives prioritized gun safety. The 116th Congress took monumental steps to advance lifesaving gun violence prevention legislation including H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, one of the first pieces of legislation introduced in 2019, which passed through the full House just weeks after it was introduced. Congress similarly appropriated $25 million in gun violence research funding, and the House held more than a dozen hearings with gun violence as the main focus.

“The tides are changing in Texas and voters across the state want gun safety champions to represent them in Congress. In the face of absolute tragedy, communities across the state came together for El Paso and rejected the hate and violence brought to their doorstep. This message of hope and perseverance couldn’t be more different than the fear-mongering peddled by the NRA,” said Peter Ambler, Giffords Executive Director and an El Paso native. “The group of candidates we’re endorsing today embody this resilience. They have the courage to fight for progress and won’t back down to act on gun safety. We need them to continue the breakthroughs on gun safety America deserves.”

Today’s Giffords Endorsements include:

Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07): Before Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher was elected to represent Texas’s 7th District, she was a Houston-area lawyer and the first female partner at her firm. When she ran for Congress in 2018, she defeated an NRA-funded incumbent and achieved more historical firsts, becoming the first Democrat to represent the district since it was redrawn in the 1960s and the first woman ever to hold the seat. In 2018, Rep. Fletcher campaigned alongside former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords to emphasize the importance of gun safety in her district. Giffords PAC also invested over $1 million in an ad campaign in the Houston suburbs to highlight her opponent’s gun lobby support. During her campaign, Rep. Fletcher vowed to require background checks on all gun sales and to close gaps in current laws that allow convicted domestic abusers to get their hands on firearms. When she was elected, she turned those promises into votes. With her support, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act passed the House of Representatives—the first gun safety legislation to clear the chamber in decades. Rep. Fletcher has proven time and again that she is committed to the movement to save lives.
Pritesh Gandhi (TX-10): Dr. Pritesh Gandhi has been working to protect vulnerable communities his entire career as a primary care doctor, caring and advocating for underserved patients on a daily basis. Dr. Gandhi understands that the epidemic of gun violence is a public health crisis, which is why he emphasizes the need for federal funding for gun violence research as a first step to finding solutions. He also knows that medical professionals are an essential voice in the movement because they witness firsthand the damage that gun violence inflicts. Immediately after the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in 2012, he founded Doctors Against Gun Violence while working in Louisiana to advocate for commonsense gun laws around the state. This year, he is channeling his advocacy into a run for Congress centered around gun safety positions like passing universal background checks, supporting extreme risk protection orders, and holding the gun lobby accountable. Meanwhile, his opponent, eight-term incumbent Michael McCaul, consistently votes in the best interest of the gun lobby instead of Texans, earning him an A rating from the NRA. By winning this fall, Dr. Gandhi will add to the growing gun safety contingent in the Texas congressional delegation, and the residents of the 10th District will finally have a representative in Washington that fights for them.
Veronica Escobar (TX-16): Congresswoman Veronica Escobar was born and raised in El Paso and has proudly served her hometown in the House of Representatives since January of 2019, the continuation of a long career in state government in West Texas. When she won her House race, she became the first woman ever elected to the seat and one of the first Latina congresswomen in the Texas delegation. In office, Rep. Escobar has been a staunch gun safety champion, helping to pass historic legislation like the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. She has been a powerful voice for gun safety, using her role as a member of the House Democratic leadership team and her positions on the Judiciary and Armed Services Committees to set important policy priorities. On August 3, 2019, a gunman killed 22 people and injured 26 others in an El Paso Walmart, a tragedy that served to underscore the importance of Rep. Escobar’s work on this issue. Having already accomplished so much in her first two years in Congress, Rep. Escobar is poised to continue to build on the progress she has helped achieve in the next two years and beyond.
Wendy Davis (TX-21): Wendy Davis knows what it means to persist. As a teenage single mother, she worked her way through college, eventually graduating from Harvard Law School and practicing law. She started her career in public service in 1999, serving on the Fort Worth City Council for ten years before becoming a state senator. In each of her three terms in the state senate, Wendy cast key votes to keep guns off of college campuses, and she stood by her support of gun safety legislation in the face of a majority that refused to act. As both a gun owner and someone who has lost loved ones to gun violence, Wendy has a deep appreciation for responsible and safe gun ownership. She has a long record of supporting commonsense policies like universal background checks and keeping weapons out of the hands of domestic abusers. Over the years, Wendy has been vocal about her commitment to gun safety as well as her willingness to continue learning about the issue, which sets her apart from her opponent, an NRA-backed incumbent. The 21st District deserves a congresswoman who will stand up to the gun lobby and protect the safety of her constituents, and that’s what they will get in Wendy Davis.
Sri Kulkarni (TX-22): Before running for Congress, Sri Kulkarni was a foreign service officer, representing the United States on diplomatic missions in countries including Iraq, Russia, Israel, Taiwan, and Jamaica. During his 14 years of service, Sri worked under both Republican and Democratic administrations, before resigning in protest after President Trump’s defense of white supremacists in Charlottesville in 2017. But Sri knew he wasn’t finished serving the American people, leading him to run for Congress. When Sri ran in 2018, he nearly unseated an entrenched incumbent who ardently supports dangerous policies like open carry and opposes universal background checks. The close race indicated that the once-solidly Republican 22nd District had become a toss-up, an indication of the increasing demand for gun safety in the Houston suburbs. Sri’s time overseas as a foreign service officer and his childhood memories of his family being targeted by gun violence make this issue deeply personal for him. He is making gun safety a central part of his campaign, and will be a tireless supporter of gun safety in the House.
Gina Ortiz Jones (TX-23): At a young age, Gina Ortiz Jones learned about the value of hard work and the difficulties that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Raised in San Antonio by a single mother who immigrated from the Philippines, Gina was determined to step up to challenges the way her mother did. She first joined the US Air Force as an intelligence officer, staying in active duty for 12 years and deploying to Iraq during her service, and then continued strengthening our national defense efforts as a security and intelligence advisor for various government agencies. After coming home to San Antonio, Gina decided to run for Congress in 2018 to continue serving the country, running a Giffords PAC-endorsed campaign focused on gun safety. She lost a tightly contested race by fewer than 1000 votes. That promising result, as well as the Republican incumbent’s decision not to seek re-election this cycle, points to an increased demand for a representative who prioritizes gun safety. Gina’s military expertise gives her the unique perspective of someone who understands the impact guns have on a battlefield, and her life in Texas allows her to appreciate the deep culture of responsible gun ownership in the state. This year, she is running on a gun safety-focused platform once again. Her voice will be an essential one in the halls of Congress.
Colin Allred (TX-32): Colin Allred was born and raised in North Dallas, playing five seasons as a linebacker in the NFL before going to law school and becoming a civil rights attorney. After gaining federal experience in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, he came home to North Texas to continue his public service by representing the 32nd District in Congress. Rep. Allred was endorsed by Giffords PAC in 2018 because he was not afraid to run on a strong gun safety platform that called for universal background checks and closing the boyfriend loophole. His victory unseated a long-serving NRA ally, a signal of the shifting attitude toward gun safety among voters, not just in the suburbs of Dallas, but state- and nationwide. Rep. Allred grew up around guns, learning how to safely shoot a gun at summer camp, yet also losing childhood friends to gun violence. He recognizes the importance of responsible gun ownership, and has demonstrated his commitment to gun safety with his votes to help pass meaningful legislation such as the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. He will continue to add to his gun safety record when he is elected for a second term this fall.

About Recent Giffords 2020 Political Efforts:

These candidates approach gun safety legislation with the seriousness and urgency needed to solve our country’s gun violence epidemic. Electing them to the House of Representatives will mean growing the gun safety majority that has continued to prioritize gun safety. Colleagues in the Senate, on the other hand, continue to oppose all gun safety. That’s why Giffords invested nearly $750,000 in ads calling out Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) for failing to support H.R. 8 last year.

Giffords is also leading the effort to make this the year the country elects a #GunSafetyPresident. Congresswoman Giffords, recently announced her endorsement and the endorsement of Giffords PAC of Joe Biden for president of the United States of America. Vice President Biden has fought for stronger gun safety laws throughout his career and has promised it will be a top priority for his administration.

Congresswoman Giffords and Vice President Biden have a long history of working together to advance commonsense gun safety laws, especially in the wake of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Biden was there to welcome Congresswoman Giffords back to the Capitol months after she was shot and then again at President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.