Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund Endorses Jared Polis for Governor, Dianne Primavera for Lieutenant Governor, Phil Weiser for Attorney General, Jena Griswold for Secretary of State

DENVER — Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund announced its endorsement of Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, Attorney General Phil Weiser, and Secretary of State Jena Griswold for re-election this fall. The candidate slates endorsed today have been gun sense champions while serving in office, and have received the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction. 

“The people of Colorado, who know the pain of gun violence all too well, made it clear through their votes that they want leaders who will fight hard for common-sense gun laws,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Everytown is proud to endorse Governor Polis, Lieutenant Governor Primavera, Attorney General Weiser, and Secretary of State Griswold, four leaders who have shown the nation what it means to be a gun sense champion.” 

“Governor Polis, Lieutenant Governor Primavera, Attorney General Weiser, and Secretary of State Griswold have had our back in office, and come November, we’ll have theirs too,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “Time and again they have put public safety over the profits of gun manufacturers, and there will be a grassroots army of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers making sure they’re back in office fighting for us. 

In 2021, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed SB21-256 into law, which repealed the state’s burdensome preemption law, allowing local governments to adopt locally tailored solutions to gun violence and regulate where concealed handguns may be carried. The Denver City Council’s historic ghost gun prohibition earlier this year marked the first time a municipality in Colorado had passed an ordinance strengthening local gun safety laws after preemption was repealed. 

In an average year, 850 people die and 360 people are wounded by guns in Colorado. The rate of gun deaths has increased 41% from 2011 to 2020 in Colorado, compared to a 33% increase nationwide. Gun violence costs Colorado $5.6 billion each year, of which $170.2 million is paid by taxpayers. More information about gun violence in Colorado is available here.