Brady Hails Incoming Gun Safety Congress

Brady endorsed more than 100 gun safety champions across U.S., largest electoral effort in over a decade

Washington, D.C., November 6, 2018 - Tonight, after years of elected officials who refused to even debate common sense legislative measures to reduce gun violence, Americans from coast to coast are celebrating the election of a new Congress that will put gun safety at the top of the agenda, with a majority that continues to grow. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which endorsed more than 100 House, Senate, and statewide candidates across the country - the largest electoral investment by the organization in more than a decade - hailed today’s election as a turning point for keeping Americans safe from gun violence.

“We have been working - as an organization and as a movement - towards this day and this moment for years, and we are ecstatic to see those efforts bear fruit tonight,” stated Kris Brown, co-president of the Brady Campaign. “All across the country, candidates have put gun safety at the top of their platforms, speaking boldly on the issue where so many have shied away from it for years. They proved that Americans are tired of the same thoughts and prayers after every mass shooting, tired of wondering when the epidemic of gun violence might strike their own communities. We are ready for change, we are ready for action, and we are ready for a pro-gun safety Congress to be sworn in on January 3, 2019!”

“Expanded background checks, banning weapons of war, passing nationwide extreme risk protection orders - at long last, all of these important measures will see a vote from a Congress committed to keeping Americans safe,” added Brady Campaign co-president Avery Gardiner. “From schools to yoga studios to synagogues, we’ve seen far too often this year the deadly consequences of elected officials who turn a blind eye to the ravages of gun violence. Now, at long last, we have a chance to turn that around. We are beyond proud of our gun safety champions who are celebrating their hard-earned victories, and we look forward to working with them to pass common sense measures into law.”

Polling from races across the country shows that gun safety was a top issuein the minds of voters. Amongst Democratic voters, gun safety ranked as high as second, trailing only health care. 60 percent of voters, regardless of their party affiliation, said that they want to see stricter gun safety policies enacted. The youth vote also turned out in force, with early voting surging far beyond previous elections.

This election cycle, the Brady Campaign invested in pro-gun safety candidates across the country in a way that the organization has not done in over a decade. The organization, which is one of the nation’s oldest and most effective gun safety advocates, focused on candidates who support Brady’s three-point plan, including expanding Brady background checks, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and passing extreme risk laws.

A heavy focus for Brady was on the organization’s “Notorious Nine,” members of Congress who had received A or A+ ratings from the National Rifle Association, including Reps. Jeff Denham (CA-10), Steve Knight (CA-25), Mimi Walters (CA-45), Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48), Mike Coffman (CO-06), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Tom MacArthur (NJ-03), Barbara Comstock (VA-10), and John Faso (NY-19). These candidates have collectively taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from the gun lobby and repeatedly blocked common-sense gun safety legislation that would keep their constituents safe.

Brady PAC, a sister organization, supported candidates who committed to making gun violence prevention a top priority and worked to replace candidates who refused to prioritize the safety of the American public and put gun industry profits before their constituents. Through targeted digital and radio ads in a number of battleground districts, Brady PAC focused on turning out voters to flip seats from NRA-supported Congressmen to new members of Congress that will prioritize gun reform legislation.

Brady PAC further focused their digital and radio ads on districts like Virginia’s 2nd and 7th, where targeted investments in close elections were able to make a significant impact. Even late breaking purchases were able to directly impact and move votes in these districts, many of which were expected to remain in Republican hands and ended as extremely close victories for pro-gun safety candidates.

***EXPERTS FROM THE BRADY CAMPAIGN ARE AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT. TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW WITH BRADY LEADERSHIP, PLEASE EMAIL [email protected].***