(The Center Square) – Everytown for Gun Safety, a national gun violence prevention organization, has announced $9 million in media and advertisement funding to advocate for and warn against select candidates in battleground states, Arizona included.
“So much of the national progress we’ve made on gun safety can be traced back to pioneering laws passed at the state level,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Over the last few election cycles, Everytown has built a winning playbook for electing gun sense champions in key state legislative seats in order to flip chambers and pass life-saving legislation. In the runup to Election Day, we’re going all-out to make sure voters know which candidates will prioritize keeping their schools and communities safe from gun violence — and which candidates are putting them at risk by standing in the way.”
The Arizona ad calls out Legislative District 4 House of Representatives Republican Candidate and former President Donald Trump Campaign Advisor Pamela Carter. Carter is running with incumbent Rep. Matt Gress against two Democratic candidates – Rep. Kelli Butler and Karen Gresham.
The ad claims that Republicans “like Pamela Carter” are a danger to Arizona’s schools by voting against gun safety laws.
“So if you want to protect kids here in Arizona, vote no on Pamela Carter,” the ad says. However, Carter has not publicly spoken about what sorts of gun safety laws she supports or opposes and her campaign did not respond to requests for comment before publication.
Gresham and Butler said in a joint statement that they have been endorsed by numerous gun safety advocates including Everytown for Gun Safety.
“Preventing gun violence shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” reads the statement. “Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens, so it’s imperative that we elect leaders who will work to make our schools and communities safer. We should consider common sense measures like safe storage laws, background checks and red flag laws. We must also commit to funding for school counselors and improved behavioral health services.”
While Carter has not spoken publicly on her views surrounding gun safety policies, Gress’ record in the legislature shows that he would address increasing school safety by allowing people to have concealed weapons on college campuses and allowing armed officers in public schools.
Everytown for Gun Safety also launched ads in Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. The organization also launched a $45 million electoral program and a voter contact program in an effort to elect candidates who support “common sense” gun safety laws.
Additionally, the group announced a $7.5 million investment to train Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers, which they claim were a large part of winning key 2022 elections in Minnesota and Michigan.
In Minnesota, six Moms Demand Action volunteers won their elections, flipping the state Senate and delivering a gun regulation trifecta. In Michigan, nine Moms Demand Action volunteers won their elections, flipping the statehouse and delivering the first control majorities in nearly 40 years.
As early voting in Arizona has begun, it will soon be seen whether Everytown’s funding targeted at Arizona will contribute to the election of those candidates.
