Giffords PAC Endorses Mandela Barnes for the US Senate

Washington DC —  Today, Giffords PAC, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, announced its endorsement of Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes for the US Senate.

“Like so many Americans, Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes understands the tragic impacts of gun violence all too well—having lost his first friend to a shooting at an early age. However, he turned his pain into action and has been a determined leader in the movement to save lives. In the state legislature, Lt. Governor Barnes led the charge for lifesaving gun safety legislation, and as lieutenant governor, he has worked with Governor Tony Evers to implement a first-of-its-kind budget to bolster public safety and fund crime prevention programs. With our gun safety Senate majority on the line this fall, we need to elect passionate leaders like Mandela Barnes who will fight for a safer future. In him, Wisconsinites will have an unparalleled champion for gun safety—and I’m proud to endorse his bid for the United States Senate.”

“Like too many Wisconsinites, gun violence is a topic that is deeply personal to me, having experienced the pain of losing people to senseless violence too many times. I’m proud to have the support of Giffords PAC as we stand up against those in the Senate who put the interests of the gun lobby ahead of the lives of our children. You can count on me to always fight to protect our children and I will never back down from the gun lobby.”

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes has always been a proud supporter of commonsense gun reforms. While serving in the state legislature, Lt. Governor Barnes pushed for the passage of lifesaving gun safety legislation, including bills to expand background checks to all gun sales and to implement extreme risk protection orders—all of which faced an uphill climb in a Republican-controlled state legislature. In 2016, he, along with a group of 27 other Wisconsin legislators, urged President Obama to investigate and pursue all possible options under executive authority to reduce gun violence. This push led to a number of executive actions which tightened loopholes in gun laws and increased the efficacy of the federal background check system.

In office, Lt. Governor Barnes has worked alongside Governors Evers to pass a budget that strengthens public safety. The budget took a broad approach to creating safer communities and included provisions to get guns out of the hands of dangerous people, invest in mental health, and fund violence and crime prevention programs. With control of the Senate hanging in the balance this November, it’s critical we elect gun safety champions like Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes who will act decisively to protect communities and save lives.

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