Everytown for Gun Safety Releases TV Ad to Support Virginia State Senate Candidate Jeremy McPike, Details Campaign Plans in Two Key Races on NRA’s Home Turf

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In its latest effort to elect gun sense candidates in states across the country, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund released its second television advertisement in this year’s Virginia state legislative elections (available here), and the first to air in the Washington D.C. market, calling on Virginians to vote for Jeremy McPike for Virginia’s 29th Senate District. The news follows on the heels of yesterday’s announcement of TV advertising and campaign efforts to support Dan Gecker, candidate for Virginia’s 10th Senate District. Both ads, in conjunction with digital advertising, will air on network and cable television in the Washington, D.C. and Richmond media markets through the November 3rd elections.

The ad features Andy Parker, father of murdered WDBJ-TV reporter Alison Parker and a member of the Everytown Survivor Network. Following their daughter’s murder this past August, Andy and Barbara Parker committed themselves to do, in Andy’s words, “whatever it takes” to reduce gun violence in America, including electing political leaders who stand for gun safety instead of with the gun lobby. This past weekend the Parkers, along with supporters of Everytown for Gun Safety and the Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown, galvanized support for Jeremy McPike and Dan Gecker and they will continue to mobilize voters in the days to come.

In the ad, Parker states: “We can save lives if our leaders take action… politicians’ condolences aren’t enough. It’s time for them to act.”

Everytown’s electoral activity in Virginia this cycle follows previous decisive victories in 2014 that proved that gun safety is a winning issue at the ballot box, including the passage of I-594, Washington State’s background check ballot initiative, and the victory of more than 80 percent of Everytown’s endorsed candidates. Among them were governors in states that passed background check legislation since Sandy Hook including Governor Dannel Malloy (CT), Governor Andrew Cuomo (NY) and Governor John Hickenlooper (CO). In the 2013 Virginia elections, candidates for three of the state’s constitutional offices –including Governor Terry McAuliffe – won by making Virginia’s gun laws a campaign issue rather than avoiding it.

“Even in the NRA’s backyard, political leaders are standing up against gun lobby interests and pledging to put gun safety, and the safety of Virginians, first,” said John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety. “The political calculus has changed and this is what Virginians and Americans expect our elected leaders to do to prevent gun violence. As the counterweight to the gun lobby, we are proud to help rally voters to support Dan Gecker and Jeremy McPike who will work to pass common-sense laws instead of NRA-backed politicians who will choose the gun lobby over saving lives.”