Giffords PAC Endorses Slate of Gun Safety House Challengers

Washington DC — Today,Giffords PAC, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, announced its endorsement of nine candidates running for the US House of Representatives to challenge the influence of the gun lobby in Washington. Each of these candidates will play a crucial role in ensuring that the issue of gun safety remains at the forefront of our policy decisions.

“The candidates we are endorsing today are the kind of fearless champions we need to end gun violence in America. Each one has proven to be a leader with the courage to act. At the state and local level around the country, they’ve stood with communities rocked by gun violence and pushed for legislation that will make all Americans safer. 

“As we know all too well, the current House majority is one of the slimmest in decades. If we want to enact lifesaving reforms to stem America’s epidemic of gun violence—like universal background checks and strong extreme risk protection order laws—we must work to expand our gun safety majority this fall. Giffords is proud to help this group of challengers get to Washington DC so they can stand up to the gun lobby and deliver clear victories on gun safety legislation for the American people.”

• Jasmine Crockett (TX-30): State Representative Jasmine Crockett makes every decision with one goal in mind: improving the lives of those in underrepresented communities. In Washington DC, she hopes to help usher in a new generation of leadership in the halls of Congress. As a gun owner who is trained and licensed to carry a weapon herself, Representative Crockett’s own experiences will bring a unique perspective to the effort to curb America’s epidemic of gun violence. She hopes to help implement needed reforms—like passing universal background checks, banning assault weapons, closing loopholes that allow dangerous people to access firearms, and addressing gun trafficking–while also respecting the rights of responsible gun owners.

• Valerie Foushee (NC-04): State Senator Valerie Foushee is a dedicated public servant who has served her community as an elected official for 25 years. In office, she has always put the well-being and safety of her constituents first, frequently standing up against bad faith attacks on her state’s gun laws. In Raleigh, Senator Foushee has played a crucial role in helping to sustain Governor Roy Cooper’s veto powers on critical gun bills and has voted against dangerous attempts to eliminate North Carolina’s pistol permitting process and to expand concealed carry to a number of public venues—including on school campuses and the state fairgrounds. In Congress, she will help push for the passage of commonsense gun safety laws at the national level, including the expansion of background checks and a ban on assault weapons. As a former administrator with the Chapel Hill Police Department, she also knows that while we must work with law enforcement to get dangerous weapons off the streets, we must also prioritize reforming dangerous policing practices. 

• Robert Garcia (CA-42): First elected by the people of Long Beach in 2014, Mayor Robert Garcia has spent the past eight years supporting commonsense gun regulation at the state and local level. If elected to Congress this fall, he is eager to continue addressing this life-or-death issue as part of a new generation of federal leaders. He believes we need swift and sweeping changes to our gun laws, and will be a fierce advocate for passing universal background checks, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and implementing national extreme risk laws in Washington DC. Throughout his tenure, Mayor Garcia has never let up on efforts to end gun violence in his city, and he has frequently joined forces with local law enforcement and community groups to improve public safety. Together, they developed and implemented numerous violence prevention programs, like the Neighborhood Walks program, which encourages officers to walk in Long Beach neighborhoods, interact with residents and businesses, and restore police-community trust.

• Sydney Kamlager (CA-37): State Senator Sydney Kamlager is a passionate advocate for justice who is determined to help tackle America’s epidemic of gun violence. She has also been a leading voice in the fight to safeguard the neighborhoods she represents from senseless violence. In office, she has worked to get ghost guns off the street, prohibit the sale of guns on state property and legislated for stronger restrictions on who can purchase, sell, and possess firearms. As a champion for criminal justice reform, she also introduced and passed the historic CRISES Act, which created community-oriented alternatives to policing. If elected to Congress, we know she will continue this work by advocating for universal background checks and strong extreme risk laws at the federal level.

• Seth Magaziner (RI-02): Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner knows that ending gun violence shouldn’t be a partisan issue—and in Congress, he’ll work across the aisle to pass the kinds of gun safety reforms needed to keep his constituents safe from harm. Throughout his tenure, Treasurer Magaziner has developed a strong record of pushing for commonsense measures to prevent senseless violence. In office, he has used his influence over the state pension fund to divest the system from any company that makes assault-style weapons for civilian purchase. Treasurer Magaziner also took action against Mastercard to crack down on internet sales of ghost gun parts, which have become a growing threat over the last few years. If elected to Congress, he will continue to build on this work by advocating for bipartisan solutions to America’s epidemic of gun violence, including passing universal background checks, limiting magazine capacities, implementing extreme risk laws to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a danger to the public, and banning deadly assault weapons.

• Morgan McGarvey (KY-03): As minority leader of the Kentucky State Senate, Morgan McGarvey has been on the front lines of the fight to end gun violence for years. In Frankfort, he’s been a leading advocate for commonsense gun safety legislation, and if elected to the US House, he’ll push for federal fixes to combat America’s epidemic of gun violence. For Leader McGarvey, the effort to curb gun violence is deeply personal. In 2018, one of his constituents, Whitney Austin, survived a mass shooting after being shot 12 times while going to work. On the day she was discharged from the hospital, Leader McGarvey went to sit in her living room and discuss all of the gun violence prevention policies they could work on together in the Kentucky General Assembly. Since then, he has worked across the aisle with members of the state’s Republican supermajority to champion crisis aversion and rights retention bills that would allow law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from persons who are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. Leader McGarvey is also acutely aware of the dangers of armed extremism, and he has pushed to ban guns in the Kentucky Capitol and to strengthen his state’s background check system.

• Delia Ramirez (IL-03): State Representative Delia Ramirez is an accomplished legislator, community leader, and coalition builder who has dedicated her life and career to advocating for working families. Having grown up in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood—where gun violence is all too common—Representative Ramirez is acutely aware of the need to solve the root causes of crime and violence. She knows that building safe communities requires a comprehensive plan that includes funding community-based youth programs and mental health services, investing in domestic violence prevention, and reinvesting in communities that have long been neglected. As a state legislator, she fought to do just that—and secured $250 million for community-based violence prevention in neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence. Representative Ramirez also supported the Illinois General Assembly’s critical “Fix the FOID” legislation, which expanded background checks for firearm purchases across the state of Illinois. In Congress, we know she will be a strong proponent of passing universal background checks, banning assault-style weapons, reducing the flow of illegal guns across state lines, and adequately funding street outreach and intervention programs.

• Andrea Salinas (OR-06): In Salem, State Representative Andrea Salinas has earned a reputation as an effective legislator who brings people together and gets things done—and we know she’ll do the same if elected to Congress. For years, Representative Salinas has been focused on passing commonsense gun safety legislation to ensure that Oregonians can live their lives free of the fear of senseless violence. In the state legislature, she played a key role in passing Oregon’s first gun safety legislation in years, which required the safe storage of firearms and prohibited the possession of guns in places like the Oregon Capitol and the Portland International Airport. If given the chance to serve in Washington DC, we know Representative Salinas will fight to pass universal background checks into law, enact federal extreme risk laws, and crack down on the proliferation of ghost guns—all of which would keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous people who have histories of violence. Representative Salinas is also an advocate for reducing police violence and holding the gun lobby accountable for its radical agenda.

• Hillary Scholten (MI-03): Hillary Scholten knows her constituents deserve a leader who is committed to putting forth commonsense solutions to the pressing problems facing West Michigan, including the scourge of gun violence. And if she’s elected, we know she’s ready to roll up her sleeves to help families and strive to do what’s right, instead of just doing what’s easy. As a civil rights lawyer with experience working at the Department of Justice, Scholten understands the importance of carefully crafted policies focused on keeping Americans safe. In Congress, she will be a vocal advocate for community-based gun violence prevention initiatives and legislation that would help stop the flow of illegal guns into and out of her state. She is also committed to enshrining universal background checks into law and will always fight to ensure the safety of all Michiganders in public places and schools.

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