Washington, D.C., July 31, 2019 — Following the second night of the second Democratic primary debate, Brady expressed deep disappointment that gun violence, which claims the lives of more than 36,000 Americans every year and leaves more than 76,000 injured, was not discussed. The organization called on the DNC to ensure that gun reform is treated appropriately going forward, and urged candidates to proactively raise the issue in their campaigns and in future debates.
Brady President Kris Brown stated,
“While many important issues were brought up during tonight’s debate, we cannot say that every critical issue was raised when we failed to discuss how these candidates will address the undeclared war on American soil that is gun violence. We are deeply, deeply disappointed in this failure to elevate an issue that kills 100 Americans every single day. Moving forward, the Democratic National Committee must ensure that gun reform is treated as the top tier issue it is. We have multiple presidential candidates putting gun safety front and center where it belongs — hopefully, future debates will follow suit.”
Last year, voters made clear that gun reform was a driving factor in their midterm votes, with Democratic voters ranking the issue as high as second, trailing only health care, and fear of school shootings was the number one issue driving turnout among the record number of young voters. That momentum has carried over to 2019 — a recent CBS News/YouGov battleground tracker poll found that gun policy was the third most important issue Democratic voters want to hear the candidates talk about, trailing only health care and jobs/economy, and that same poll found that 62 percent of Democrats “must hear” a candidates’ gun reform policies before voting for them.
Brady has long prioritized a comprehensive approach to preventing the epidemic of gun violence, a strategy now being adopted by a growing number of elected officials and candidates. As it did in 2018, the organization will continue to consult with all electoral candidates in an effort to deliver a federal government committed to implementing policies to end gun violence in America.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
By continuing to browse, you consent to the use of cookies on this site.
By clicking OK below, you will be directed to a website operated by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, an independent 501(c)(4) entity.