GIFFORDS PAC endorses Ghazala Hashmi for lieutenant governor and Jay Jones for attorney general in Virginia

WASHINGTON — Today, GIFFORDS PAC, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, endorsed Senator Ghazala Hashmi for Virginia lieutenant governor and former Delegate Jay Jones for Virginia attorney general.

“Virginia is fortunate to have dedicated gun safety champions running statewide in Senator Ghazala Hashmi and Delegate Jay Jones, who we know won’t back down when it comes to making communities safer,” said former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. “Both have strong track records of fighting for Virginia families in Richmond, and they will undoubtedly build on this work in the face of growing extremism and public safety threats. At a time when courage and conviction are more important than ever, GIFFORDS PAC is proud to stand with Senator Hashmi and Delegate Jones and we are excited to continue working with them to push back against the gun industry’s dangerous practices and save lives from senseless violence throughout the Commonwealth.” 

“Tragically, mass shootings continue to increase, and gun violence is the number one killer of our children, more than accidents or illness,” said Senator Ghazala Hashmi. “I am committed to doing everything I can to stop the proliferation of guns and reduce violence and deaths, and I am proud to earn the endorsement of GIFFORDS PAC in honor of that commitment.”

“I’m honored to have the endorsement of GIFFORDS PAC in this race,” said former Delegate Jay Jones. “They’ve been a powerful force in the fight to end gun violence, and I’m proud to stand with them. As attorney general, I’ll work relentlessly to enforce commonsense gun safety laws that protect our communities and save lives.”

Throughout her time in the Virginia Senate, Senator Hashmi has been a consistent champion for commonsense gun safety measures — from supporting legislation to require safer handgun practices, to crafting stronger standards of conduct for firearms manufacturers and more. As lieutenant governor, Senator Hashmi will be committed to funding lifesaving community violence intervention programs and disarming domestic abusers once and for all.

Former Delegate Jones has also been a committed advocate for reducing gun violence in his years of service to Virginians. In the House of Delegates, he was instrumental in expanding background checks and passing Virginia’s landmark red flag law. Delegate Jones has also served as an assistant attorney general in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia and is an accomplished litigator. As Virginia’s next attorney general, Delegate Jones will work to hold the gun industry accountable, boost state grants to local law enforcement to target illegal guns, crack down on gun dealers not following the law and increase resources for proven violence interruption strategies.