GIFFORDS PAC Endorses First Slate of Gun Safety Champions in 2023 Virginia Legislative Elections
Washington DC — Today, GIFFORDS PAC, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, announced its endorsement of 36 incumbent legislators running for reelection or higher office throughout Virginia. In the wake of horrific instances of violence in Chesapeake, Newport News, and Richmond, as well as everyday gun violence across the Commonwealth, the need to protect our gun safety majority in the Virginia Senate and flip control of the House of Delegates has become more important than ever.
The candidates GIFFORDS is endorsing today have proven that they embody the passion and drive needed to achieve real results in Richmond. The slate of candidates is overwhelmingly made up of women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords:
“As communities across the Commonwealth continue to grapple with the deadly impacts of gun violence, it’s become increasingly clear that we must double down on our efforts to elect gun safety champions to office up and down the ballot. The 36 candidates we’re endorsing today have been leaders in the fight to pass needed gun safety laws and have shown that they’re willing to stand up against Republican extremist efforts to roll back progress. This November, we must ensure that we are able to maintain our gun safety majority in the Virginia Senate and flip control of the House of Delegates. We’re proud to endorse this first slate of candidates and look forward to working with each of them to take needed steps to bolster public safety and keep our children and families safe.”
The slate of endorsed candidates includes:
- Candidates for House of Delegates
- Patrick Hope (HD-01)
- Alfonso Lopez (HD-03)
- Charniele Herring (HD-04)
- Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (HD-05)
- Rip Sullivan (HD-06)
- Karrie Delaney (HD-09)
- Dan Helmer (HD-10)
- Holly Seibold (HD-12)
- Marcus Simon (HD-13)
- Vivian Watts (HD-14)
- Kathy Tran (HD-18)
- Michelle Maldonado (HD-20)
- Luke Torian (HD-24)
- Briana Sewell (HD-25)
- Sam Rasoul (HD-38)
- Rodney Willett (HD-58)
- Shelly Simonds (HD-70)
- Betsy Carr (HD-78)
- Cia Price (HD-85)
- Jeion Ward (HD-87)
- Don Scott (HD-88)
- Cliff Hayes (HD-91)
- Candidates for Virginia Senate
- Creigh Deeds (SD-11)
- Lamont Bagby (SD-14)
- Ghazala Hashmi (SD-15)
- Schuyler VanValkenburg (SD-16)
- Clinton Jenkins (SD-17)
- Aaron Rouse (SD-22)
- Mamie Locke (SD-23)
- Monty Mason (SD-24)
- Danica Roem (SD-30)
- Scott Surovell (SD-34)
- George Barker (SD-36)
- Jennifer Boysko (SD-38)
- Adam Ebbin (SD-39)
- Barbara Favola (SD-40)
Since its founding, GIFFORDS has made significant investments to elect gun safety champions up and down the ballot in Virginia. Following landmark wins by GIFFORDS-endorsed candidates in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019, lawmakers made incredible strides in making Virginia a safer state for all by passing lifesaving reforms like a statewide extreme risk law and universal background checks. Because of this important work, Virginia has greatly improved its grade on GIFFORDS Law Center’s Annual Gun Law Scorecard, now receiving a B and ranking 12th out of 50 states for its gun laws.
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Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.
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