GIFFORDS Endorses Katy Padilla Stout in TX-23, alongside Bexar County Sheriff Salazar

SAN ANTONIO – Today, GIFFORDS PAC, the national gun violence prevention group founded by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, joined Bexar County Sheriff Salazar in endorsing Katy Padilla Stout in TX-23 during a rally on public safety. 

“As a mom of four, a public school teacher and child welfare attorney, Katy Padilla Stout has built her life around fighting for a better, safer Texas. That’s why GIFFORDS is proud to endorse her today”” said Emma Brown, Executive Director of GIFFORDS.  “The stakes of this race could not be higher because the contrast between Katy and Brandon Herrera could not be starker. Herrera is known online as ‘the AK Guy,’ who has made money mocking veteran suicide andimitating Nazis. On the top of that, he opposes every single reform to prevent Texas mass shootings like the ones at Robb Elementary – in El Paso. Katy Padilla Stout is the only person in this race willing to act to save lives in Texas, stand up to gun company CEOs, and work across the aisle to protect our communities.”

WATCH : Emma Brown on the impact of gun violence in TX and GIFFORD’s endorsement of Katy Padilla Stout.

“I am supporting Katy because Bexar County needs a member of Congress who will work with sheriffs, police officers, veterans, school officials, parents and community leaders – not someone who turns every conversation about gun violence into a political slogan,” said Bexar County Sheriff, Javier Salazar. “We can respect the Second Amendment and still say domestic abusers should not have easy access to guns. We can respect responsible gun owners and still say children shouldn’t have access to loaded, unsecured firearms. We can support law enforcement and still invest in prevention before deputies are called to yet another tragedy. Katy is the serious public safety candidate in this race.”

WATCH: Sheriff Salazar on gun safety policies that make law enforcement’s job easier and endorsing Katy Padilla Stout.

In addition to Sheriff Salazar and GIFFORDS’ Emma Brown, Dr. Ron Farnsworth, a recently retired clinical psychologist who worked with active duty troops and veterans in San Antonio joined the program. He spoke on the impact of gun safety law in addressing the alarming rise in veteran suicides. Since 2006, veterans have died by suicide nearly 20 times more often than soldiers have been killed in war operations.

“Veteran suicide, and gun violence, has far reaching impacts. The traumas and losses of those who survive and witness these events – the heartbreak of families and loved ones, touched and destroyed by these events is astronomical, said Dr. Farnsworth. “And while Brandon Herrera has made veteran suicide a punch line, we need leaders like Katy Padilla Stout who understand the gravity of this problem and can work across the aisle on solutions to support servicemembers who are struggling. By encouraging responsible firearm ownership practices and enacting strong gun safety laws, we can help our veterans—and all Americans—overcome this preventable public health crisis.”

WATCH:Dr. Farnsworth on gun safety policies to curb veteran suicides.

To conclude the event, Padilla Stout outlined her vision for public safety TX-23, emphasizing that preventing gun violence and cracking down on gun-related crime go hand in hand with reducing violent crime, supporting law enforcement, and keeping communities safe. Read more about Padilla Stout’s positions here.

“As a mother, I can’t describe the pit in my stomach when I drop my children off at school every morning, knowing that they are more at risk than when I was growing up. I know parents across the country face the same fears each day. Not only at school, but when we take our families shopping, to the movies, and even to church. As a member of Congress, I promise that public safety — the safety of our kids, our neighbors, and our law enforcement — will always come first. There’s nothing more important.”

WATCH: Katy Padilla’s Stout full remarks