Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, announced its endorsement of Senator Tim Kaine for reelection.
Kaine now joins a growing list of endorsed candidates supported by Giffords in 2018, as part of the organization’s #VoteCourage campaign, an effort to elect gun safety champions. The organization expects to announce additional endorsements in the weeks and months to come.
“America experienced three of the deadliest mass shootings in modern history in just the past year,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords. “Over 38,000 people in our country were killed by a gun. Virginia has not been immune to this deadly crisis: somebody is killed by a gun in Virginia every 8 hours. Despite this devastating reality, the gun lobby has used its cash and influence to stifle any attempts to pass laws on Capitol Hill to make our schools, streets, and communities more safe.
More from Giffords on the endorsement:
“The American people are outraged and tired of inaction. They are ready to use their power to demand that the leaders we elect to represent us are committed to creating a world where gun violence is not a daily problem. Voters are calling for leaders who will always put protecting the safety of our communities first, not themselves, and certainly not the gun lobby.
“Senator Kaine acknowledged the devastating toll of our nation’s gun violence crisis, and he is working tirelessly to combat it. His passion, leadership, and dedication as a leading gun safety champion will be critical for our next victories in Congress to save lives and prevent future tragedies. Giffords is proud to endorse Tim Kaine, a leader who has the courage stand up to the corporate gun lobby and who will never stop working to make Virginia communities safer.”
Tim Kaine on the endorsement from Giffords:
“I am so proud to have the support of Giffords in my campaign,” “Real, substantive action in Congress to reduce gun violence will only happen because of the relentless advocacy embodied by my good friend Gabby and organizations like Giffords. I will continue to advocate for policies such as universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and increased mental health care in this fight to make communities across Virginia and the country safer.”
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