Meet a Few of the Gun Lobby Darlings We Plan to Vote Out of Office
These dangerous officials have no place in Congress. That’s why we’re fighting to replace them with gun safety champions.
It’s that time of year again: election season.
On November 3, Americans across the country will head to the polls. Some will mail in their ballots, which Trump is begging the Supreme Court to invalidate.
With so many crises roiling the nation right now—affordability, healthcare, tariffs, and the war in Iran, just to name a few—it can be hard to keep everything we need our leaders to address top of mind. But our issue, gun violence, continues to devastate communities across the country, and we’re paying close attention to which candidates will do more to tackle it than just offer performative thoughts and prayers.
Gun violence remains the top killer of kids and teens in the United States. There have been more mass shootings than days in the year so far, including horrific domestic violence tragedies. Gun suicide continues to cut tens of thousands of lives short.
Many members of Congress are outspoken about gun violence. But a number of representatives up for reelection use the power of their office to only spout gun lobby talking points and unapologetically take their marching orders from Donald Trump and gun industry donors at every turn, public safety be damned. We’re committed to kicking these craven politicians to the curb this November and electing a gun safety majority that will do what it takes to save American lives—not help gun industry CEOs line their pockets.
Here are some especially egregious candidates we’re fighting back against right now.
Represents Colorado’s Eighth Congressional District
Representative Gabe Evans hasn’t been in Congress long—he was only elected in November 2024. But in his short time in office, he quickly established himself as a pro-industry extremist who prioritizes campaign cash from radical gun groups over public safety.
Evans has repeatedly blocked efforts to reduce gun violence and gun crime, and has cosponsored and supported legislation to expand concealed carry, create more loopholes in our background check laws, and undermine regulations on the gun industry. And this isn’t new—he was doing the same thing when he served in the Colorado House of Representatives, supporting bills to put guns in the hands of children and opposing efforts to prohibit carrying firearms in government buildings and schools.
Of course, the NRA has awarded him for his years of loyalty with an A rating and more than $55,000 to put him in office.
Manny Rutinel
US House
Democrat | Colorado — 8th District
Fortunately for gun safety advocates, Evans’s second term in Congress is in jeopardy. In fact, it’s a really close race. That’s because Colorado State Representative Manny Rutinelis leading the charge to replace Evans, and he’s doing it on a gun safety platform.
Rutinel has consistently made the safety of his constituents his top priority, sponsoring legislation to keep guns out of Colorado schools and keep semiautomatic weapons and rapid-fire devices out of the wrong hands. He’s also led efforts to improve collaboration between law enforcement agencies and have them register with the ATF’s eTrace program to more quickly solve gun crimes.
GIFFORDS PAC isn’t leaving this race up to chance. We’ve been on the ground in Colorado, supporting Rutinel however we can. Our founder, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, even visited his district and campaigned with him to help boost his message. It’s clear that Colorado’s Eighth Congressional District deserves a representative who actually cares about their safety—not one who always places special interests first.
Represents Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District
Representative Juan Ciscomani has not put his time on Capitol Hill to good use. Time and again, he’s expressed unconditional support for an extremist reading of the Second Amendment, so it’s no surprise that Ciscomani receives an A rating from the NRA, in addition to similar ratings from the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Gun Owners of America. He’s even secured Trump’s endorsement.
Ciscomani supports a national concealed carry mandate and creating loopholes in our laws to sell more ghost guns, and he refuses to expand background checks or regulate the gun industry. He’s also pushed to put guns in the hands of veterans who are at risk of committing suicide—repeatedly. But don’t worry, he’s only taken nearly $50,000 from the gun lobby.
JoAnna Mendoza
US House
Democrat | Arizona — 6th District
Ciscomani represents part of Tucson, which means this race hits close to home for us. And since he’s clearly not up for the job, it’s fortunate that there’s a battle-tested candidate running against him: JoAnna Mendoza.
A veteran and single mother, Mendoza is deeply familiar with many different types of guns and how to use them responsibly. She’s ready to head to Capitol Hill and support the policies that Arizonans actually want, including universal background checks, stronger safe storage requirements, and regulations on ghost guns. GIFFORDS PAC’s Executive Director Emma Brown joined Mendoza for a town hall back in April, and we’ve continued to lend our support to help her defeat Ciscomani.
This race could go either way right now, and Arizonans must elect a leader who actually cares about keeping communities safe—and that leader is Mendoza.
Represents Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District
Representative Rob Bresnahan is a self-serving, A-rated, NRA-endorsed incumbent running for reelection in Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District. The gun lobby spent more than $100,000 to get him elected in 2024, and its money did not go to waste.
Paige Cognetti
US House
Democrat | Pennsylvania — 8th District
Over the last two years, Bresnahan has been a rubber stamp for its priorities, consistently voting to weaken existing gun regulations. He even cosponsored the NRA’s top legislative priority, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. This dangerous bill would force states to allow anyone to carry hidden, loaded guns without passing a background check, undergoing training, or meeting a single safety standard.
Fortunately, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti is ready to step up and protect Pennsylvanians. In office, she has been a steadfast advocate for public safety measures, including helping introduce Scranton’s first-ever community violence intervention and prevention project. While Bresnahan has repeatedly proven his allegiance to the special interests that elected him, Cognetti is prepared to fight for the commonsense gun laws we need.
This race is going to be down to the wire, and we must ensure Bresnahan doesn’t return to Capitol Hill come January.
These races are important, and they aren’t the only ones. For a more comprehensive list of the gun safety champions running for office up and down the ballot, check out our 2026 Endorsements.
This year, we have the chance to flip enough seats to regain our gun safety majority in the House and Senate. But with at least one chamber of Congress, we’ll be able to put a stop to dangerous policies like the One Big Beautiful Bill and the national concealed carry mandate. We’ll be able to throw a wrench in the Trump administration’s agenda, and potentially pass more gun safety measures. But it all comes down to November 3. And these races are tighter than ever.
You’ve undoubtedly heard the refrain “This is the most important election of our lives” before. You’ve probably heard it too often, if we’re being honest. But it’s fair to say that we are never safe when gun extremists control our government. The only way to stop their agenda of gutting gun safety laws on behalf of the gun industry is to vote these corrupt politicians out of office —and that’s what we’re going to do.
GUN SAFETY LEADERS
Americans are demanding leaders who fight for us, not the gun lobby. Across the country, courageous leaders are running on gun safety platforms—and winning. We can’t let up now—we need to make our voices heard far and wide.
Join the fight