NEW GIFFORDS POLL: Majority of Florida Voters Support Gun Safety

Washington DC— Today, Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released new Florida polling that outlines large support for gun safety laws including universal background checks among Floridians and especially Hispanic voters. The poll comes after Giffords Florida, a new political program dedicated to supporting candidates for local, state, and federal office in the Sunshine State, announced a Florida Bus Tour that kicked off on Thursday, September 8th, and ends on Tuesday, September 13. 

Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords will make appearances at several stops on the bus tour, as well former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and a number of current elected officials, including Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Congressman Charlie Crist and US Senate Candidate Congresswoman Val Demings. The bus will make stops in different cities across the state, including in Miami, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Coral Springs, and West Palm Beach.

“Floridians and our Hispanic community are all too familiar with the devastating impact of gun violence and this poll shows they want action now,” said Samantha Barrios, Giffords Florida State Director. “Our state continues to lose loved ones to gun violence every single day and our Hispanic community continues to bear the brunt. We can’t wait any longer for measures to be put into place. Voters are tired of waiting for something to be done and we are confident that they will take back their power at the polls.” 

The poll, commissioned by Giffords and conducted by SEA Polling, surveyed hundreds of Florida voters. Key toplines include: 

• Floridians strongly support universal background checks: An overwhelming majority of Floridians (76%), and Hispanic voters (84%) support universal background checks, which require background checks on all gun sales and transfers of firearms.
• Floridians, especially Hispanic voters, oppose permitless carry: 61% Floridians and 71% Hispanic voters oppose permitless carry, which Governor DeSantis has promised to pass.
• Floridians demand red flag, or extreme risk protection order, laws nationwide: Florida voters (59%) support national red flag laws that allow a judge to order the temporary removal of guns from a person deemed a potential danger to others or themselves. The majority of Hispanic voters (68%) also support red flag laws. 
• An overwhelming majority of Floridians want regulations on ghost guns: Florida voters (56%) and Hispanic voters (59%) support ghost gun regulations. Ghost guns are firearms that are untraceable and often undetectable by metal detectors. 
• Voters are less likely to vote for NRA-backed candidates: Floridians (31%) are less likely to vote for a candidate that they knew had taken contributions from the gun lobby and had voted consistently with the NRA. 

The Florida polling from Giffords aligns with the recent launch of Giffords Florida, a new initiative dedicated to supporting candidates for local, state, and federal office in the Sunshine State who have the courage to fight gun violence. Giffords Florida, which is Giffords’s first and only state-specific political initiative, is now the largest bilingual gun safety political program focused entirely on Florida. 

Prior to the launch of Giffords Florida, Giffords had already built a strong foundation in the Sunshine State. In December 2021, Giffords hosted a Gun Violence Memorial at Bayfront Park in Miami and endorsed Val Demings for US Senate. Earlier this year, Giffords partnered with the Miami Heat on a campaign to end gun violence and Giffords Florida Senior Advisor Debbie Mucarsel-Powell worked alongside the families of Marjory Stoneman Douglas victims to call for gun safety reforms.

In March, Giffords teamed up with Public Policy Polling on a survey which found that 69% of Floridians would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports background checks. In June, Giffords hosted a bilingual telephone town hall on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act for Miami-Dade County residents. Earlier this year, Giffords created a Spanish Language Hub as a way to connect with Spanish speakers interested in learning more about gun safety reform.

Giffords Florida has a bilingual team running its operation in the Sunshine State, including Giffords Senior Advisor and former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, and State Director Samantha Barrios.

The full poll can be found HERE. 

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