Giffords-Endorsed Candidates Win Florida Primaries in Historic Night for Gun Safety Champions in the Sunshine State
Washington DC — Yesterday, all eleven Giffords-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election in Florida. In the FL-10 primary, Central Florida voters threw their support behind Giffords-endorsed candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a gun violence survivor who is poised to be the first Gen Z Member of Congress. In FL-23, Giffords-endorsed candidate Broward County Commissioner Jared Moskowitz, who worked with the families of victims in Parkland to pass the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act into law, advanced to the general election.
Giffords Florida Senior Advisor former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell:
“Yesterday, Florida voters made it clear that gun safety is a winning issue. From the state legislature to the US Senate, Giffords-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and demonstrated that Floridians are done with extremists like Marco Rubio. Our mission is to save lives and protect our children from senseless gun violence. We’ve spent much of the past year speaking to voters across the state about gun violence prevention, and over the next few months, Giffords Florida will be on the ground to get out the vote and hold our elected officials accountable. With our support, our endorsed candidates will cross the finish line victorious in November.”
Giffords Florida State Director Samantha Barrios:
“We are proud that gun safety champions from Orlando to Miami won their primary races yesterday, in many cases making history with their candidacies. Floridians made their voices heard with their votes, letting the rest of the country know that they want ‘un futuro sin violencia’ and will accept nothing less this fall. Our candidates can help make that happen—and we will be pouring every ounce of our energy and passion into making sure they are elected in November. Now is the time to come together and defeat the gun lobby’s enablers in Washington DC and Tallahassee once and for all, and to build the safer future that our children and families deserve.”
These historic victories for the gun safety movement in the Sunshine State come on the heels of the launch of Giffords Florida, a new initiative dedicated to supporting gun safety candidates for local, state, and federal office in the Sunshine State. Giffords Florida, which is Giffords’ first and only state-specific political initiative, is the largest bilingual gun safety political program focused entirely on Florida.
Giffords Endorsed Candidates include:
US Senate:
Congresswoman Val Demings
US House:
Maxwell Frost (FL-10)
Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22)
Broward County Commissioner Jared Moskowitz (FL-23)
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25)
State Senator Annette Taddeo (FL-27)
Florida State House:
AJ D’Amico (FL HD-113)
Adam Benna (FL HD-114)
Florida State Senate:
Raquel Pacheco (FL SD-36)
Janelle Perez (FL SD-38)
Ahead of the 2022 elections, Giffords Florida has endorsed candidates with strong records on gun safety, helping get out the vote for gun safety candidates, conducted on-the-ground research about Floridians’ views on gun violence prevention measures, and will invest more than $1 million in the state by November. The initiative is focused on holding Florida’s leaders accountable, and throughout the year Giffords Florida has been conducting a multifaceted, bilingual campaign focused on uplifting gun safety candidates in races against bad actors – particularly in the US Senate race, where Senator Marco Rubio’s inaction and hypocrisy regarding gun violence prevention is clear. Giffords Florida will continue to invest in the state beyond the 2022 elections, and build its growing network of Gun Owners for Safety from the Panhandle to Miami.
Giffords Florida has a bilingual team running its operation in the Sunshine State, including Giffords Senior Advisor, former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and State Director Samantha Barrios.
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