Giffords Endorses 7 Candidates Vying to Bring Diverse Leadership to the House of Representatives

The candidates are committed to bringing their talents and unique backgrounds to the fight for gun safety reform in the House

July 24, 2020 — Giffords PAC, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, today endorsed seven candidates for the US House of Representatives. This slate of candidates has made gun safety a major tenant of their groundbreaking campaigns.

As community activists, state legislators, educators, and physicians, they have built records solving problems, creating meaningful change, and fighting hard for what matters most. Every one of these endorsed candidates will follow through to pass critical gun safety legislation in the House of Representatives.

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

“These candidates are ready to make history by bringing new voices to the halls of power. From coast to coast, they have the courage and ideas needed to grow our gun safety majority in the House of Representatives. Each has proven they have what it takes to fight the gun lobby and deliver for their communities who want to see progress in the fight to save lives. Giffords is proud to endorse today’s candidates and to work with them to end gun violence in America.”

Today’s Giffords Endorsements include:

Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-07): Carolyn Bourdeaux is the Democratic nominee seeking to represent Georgia’s Seventh Congressional District. Carolyn has a lifetime of public service experience. She served as the director of the Georgia State Senate Budget and Evaluation Office, where she authored legislation to expand access to the Women, Infants, and Children program. Since 2003, Carolyn has been a professor at the Andrew Young School of Public Policy. Carolyn grew up in a family of gun owners and she understands how to respect the Second Amendment while advocating for commonsense gun safety measures. In Congress, she will fight for background checks on all gun sales and closing the so-called “boyfriend loophole.” Georgia’s Seventh Congressional District can trust Carolyn Bourdeaux to keep their community safe from senseless acts of gun violence.
Amy Kennedy (NJ-02): Amy Kennedy is the Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s Second Congressional District. Amy is a dedicated public servant, having taught in New Jersey public schools for over a decade. Her teaching experiences have guided her time as the education director of The Kennedy Forum, where she utilizes research to craft policy change in the areas of education and mental health. Amy believes that in order to ensure the safety of our schools and Americans everywhere, we need commonsense gun safety measures. Amy is committed to passing legislation that will prevent senseless acts of gun violence, including universal background checks and funding gun violence research to better understand this public health crisis. New Jersey’s Second District can trust Amy Kennedy to protect their community by fighting for gun safety reform.
Sima Ladjevardian (TX-02): Sima Ladjevardian is running to represent Texas’s Second District in Congress. Sima immigrated to the United States from Iran in the 1970s, and has spent her life working to improve her community. In addition to being a family and business lawyer, Sima is a committed political activist. Sima has worked to elect candidates up and down the ballot, including as a senior advisor and finance chair on Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 US Senate campaign. Sima sees gun violence prevention as a universal, human issue that supersedes partisan politics. She is committed to advocating for universal background checks, a policy that is widely popular among Texans. Furthermore, Sima is ready to work on implementing extreme risk laws and closing the boyfriend loophole, which allows domestic abusers and stalkers to access firearms. Texas’s Second District can trust Sima Ladjevardian to put the safety of their community first.
Diane Mitsch Bush (CO-03): Diane Mitsch Bush is running to represent Colorado’s Third District in Congress. Long a dedicated public servant, Diane began her career as an advocate and policy researcher for numerous non-profit groups. Diane then ran and won her first election for Routt County Commissioner, a capacity in which she balanced the county’s budget during the Great Recession. Diane went on to represent Colorado’s 26th District in the Colorado House of Representatives for four years. Diane’s track record exemplifies her dedication to preventing senseless acts of gun violence. During her time in the Colorado House, Diane supported legislation to implement universal background checks and limit magazine capacity. Diane also supports various other gun safety measures, including closing the boyfriend loophole and enacting extreme risk laws. Diane Mitsch Bush has a proven history of prioritizing her community’s safety and can be trusted to do the same for Colorado’s Third Congressional District.
Desiree Tims (OH-10): Desiree Tims is the Democratic nominee for Ohio’s 10th Congressional District. Desiree’s dedication to public service began in 2008 when she volunteered with the Obama presidential campaign, eventually earning a position in the White House to serve President Obama during his first term. Desiree then worked on Capitol Hill, as an aide for Senators Sherrod Brown and Kirsten Gillibrand. Desiree also worked for the League of Conservation Voters and Child Care Aware. Now, she’s running to represent her home district. Born and raised in Dayton, Desiree understands the devastation of gun violence all too well. In addition to the day-to-day gun violence that disproportionately affects Dayton’s Black population, the city was also the site of a tragic mass shooting in August of 2019. Desiree Tims has proven to be a fearless gun safety advocate who will always prioritize the safety of her constituents.
Candace Valenzuela (TX-24): Candace Valenzuela is the Democratic nominee for Texas’s 24th Congressional District. After earning her undergraduate degree, Candace successfully ran for her local school board to improve Texas public schools. During her time on the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School Board, Candace facilitated the expansion of STEM education, pushed for additional school renovation funding, and helped ensure an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students. In a state that has seen a number of high-profile mass shootings as well as everyday gun violence, Candace has fearlessly advocated for policies to make schools safer and save lives. As the first Afro-Latina ever elected to Congress, she would legislate with an acute awareness of the violence that results from the toxic mix of racism and guns. Candace recognizes that it is time for gun safety to be implemented on a federal level to protect all Texans and all Americans. Candace is committed to supporting a variety of popular, commonsense gun safety measures including universal background checks, extreme risk laws, and banning assault weapons. Texas’s 24th Congressional District can rely on Candace Valenzuela to advocate for gun safety legislation to ensure their safety.
Dr. Cameron Webb (VA-05): Dr. Cameron Webb is the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District. Cameron earned medical and law degrees from the University of Virginia, then worked on health care policy as a White House fellow in the Obama administration. Additionally, Cameron worked on President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative to address the intersections between racial inequity, education, workforce development, and criminal justice reform. As a practicing physician, Cameron specializes in internal medicine. He also teaches medical students and serves as the Director of Health Policy and Equity at the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine. Cameron understands that gun violence is a public health crisis that hits Black and Brown communities the hardest, and he is dedicated to treating it with the urgency it deserves. Cameron supports passing universal background checks, closing loopholes that allow convicted stalkers and domestic abusers to access guns, funding gun violence research, and enacting extreme risk laws. He is also committed to improving community-police relations to address the systemic racism that persists in our law enforcement institutions. Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District can trust Dr. Cameron Webb to fight for gun safety legislation and keep their community safe.