Giffords Endorses Gun Safety Champions in Florida

Washington DC — Today, Giffords PAC, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, announced its endorsement of two gun safety champions running for the US House of Representatives in Florida – Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) and Broward County Commissioner Jared Moskowitz (FL-23). In recent years, Florida has been rocked by some of the deadliest mass shootings in modern American history – from Parkland to Pulse – and more than 2,700 gun-related deaths are reported across the state each year. Floridians know that thoughts and prayers alone won’t work to fix this country’s epidemic of gun violence. They are more energized than ever to send gun safety champions like Frost and Moskowitz to Congress – where they will work to pass the types of commonsense solutions necessary to keep communities safe. New polling conducted by Giffords and Public Policy Polling indicates that 85% of Florida residents support background checks on all gun sales, and that a majority of Florida voters believe that gun laws should be made stronger. 

“Every day, more and more families are torn apart by senseless violence, and it is incumbent on all of us to do something. Maxwell Frost and Jared Moskowitz have each pushed to pass the kinds of commonsense solutions needed to stop America’s epidemic of gun violence at the state and national level – like universal background checks and extreme risk protection order laws. In the wake of the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, they helped mobilize a movement for gun safety that is now stronger than ever. I know that they will always find the courage necessary to confront the special interests and protect our kids and communities from gun violence.”

“After the Sandy Hook shooting and after meeting with survivors, I dedicated my life to ending gun violence. Today, we lose 100 people a day from guns and the urgency to address this crisis is greater than ever. Giffords has played a critical role in growing our movement and building public support to pass meaningful gun safety reform. I’m proud to have their support and pledge to do everything in my power as a member of Congress to pass laws that will save lives.”

“Gun violence prevention is personal to me, and I’m thankful to be endorsed by Giffords. I’ve always been passionate about this issue, and when 17 people died in my community during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting, stopping gun violence became my life’s mission. I pushed a gun violence prevention bill through the Republican-controlled Florida legislature, and I know that we can pass those measures and more at the federal level. I look forward to working with Giffords to make that a reality.”

Maxwell Alejandro Frost is a gun violence survivor and civil rights activist who previously served as the National Organizing Director at March for Our Lives – one of the largest youth-led political movements in the country. Fueled by his own experiences with police violence and having seen the deadly impact of gun violence on his community – especially among working people and people of color – up close, Frost joined with national progressive groups, including Giffords, last fall to secure an unprecedented five billion dollars in funding for community-based violence prevention programs in President Biden’s yearly budget proposal.

Jared Moskowitz is an alumnus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. At the time of the horrific shooting at his alma mater, Moskowitz represented his community in the Florida House of Representatives, and he worked with the families of victims to pass the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act into law. This comprehensive gun violence prevention, school safety, and mental health package raised the age to buy a gun from 18 to 21, established a three-day waiting period for all gun purchases, expanded background checks, banned bump stocks, and created extreme risk protection order laws that empower law enforcement to take guns away from especially dangerous individuals. From 2019 to 2021, Moskowitz served as the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and in January 2022, he was elected to a seat on the Broward County Commission representing the 8th District.