Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund and Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, and its grassroots networks, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, declared a major victory today as voters rejected the gun lobby and re-elected a gun sense majority in the U.S. Senate.
“It’s telling that in the wake of the Senate passing the first major gun safety legislation in 26 years, the American people just elected another gun sense majority to the Senate,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “And it’s fitting that the majority hinged on defeating Adam Laxalt, a gun lobby favorite who as Attorney General refused to enact a background check measure directly approved by voters.”
“Over the summer, the U.S. Senate delivered historic federal progress on gun safety, and the American people just sent them a clear message: if you do your job, we’ll have your back,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “This victory is a hard-fought win for gun safety and we’re proud to stand alongside our allies in the U.S. Senate as they work to end our country’s gun violence epidemic.”
After the tragedies in Buffalo and Uvalde earlier this year, Congress broke a nearly 30 year logjam on major federal action on gun safety by passing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This bill — which was opposed by the NRA — passed with the support of 15 Republican Senators, establishes an enhanced background check process for gun buyers under age 21, provides federal funding to implement state Red Flag laws, disarms domestic abusers by addressing the dating partner loophole, and funds community violence intervention programs, among other items.
Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund invested in key U.S. Senate races across the country, including Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Pennsylvania — and remains engaged in the Georgia runoff. The gun sense majority in the U.S. Senate builds on the good night for gun safety earlier this week in which one thing was clear: gun safety is a winning issue, from the U.S. Senate, to Governors races, to state legislatures, bringing out voters in droves this cycle to elect gun sense champions. Read here for more.
Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers made over six million voter contacts through phone calls, text messages, door knocks, and more across the country this election cycle to support gun sense candidates up and down the ballot.
Additionally, with many votes still being counted, more than 125 Moms Demand Action volunteers from across the country won election for office up and down the ballot, highlighting the political power of Moms Demand Action volunteers as candidates for office themselves. Read here for more.
Last year, Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund launched “Demand a Seat,” a program to train grassroots volunteers and gun violence survivors to take the next step in their advocacy efforts by running for office and working on campaigns to elect gun sense candidates. The program invested $3 million in educational training and mentorship opportunities for grassroots volunteers considering campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels. More information on Demand a Seat can be found here. Since 2017, hundreds of Moms Demand Action volunteer leaders have run for elected office and dozens have won seats – from town council and school board to U.S. Congress.
