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Everytown For Gun Safety Action Fund Endorses Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Rep. Susan Wild, Rep. Matt Cartwright, Rep. Conor Lamb, and Eugene Depasquale For U.S. House

7.13.2020

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Rep. Susan Wild, Rep. Matt Cartwright, Rep. Conor Lamb, and Eugene DePasquale Are Gun Sense Champions Who Will Fight for Common-Sense Gun Safety Measures in Congress

New Polling Shows Americans’ Support for Gun Safety Measures Has Surged Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

NEW YORK – Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund endorsed Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick for Congress in Pennsylvania’s first congressional district, Congresswoman Susan Wild for Congress in Pennsylvania’s seventh congressional district, and Congressman Matt Cartwright for Congress in Pennsylvania’s eighth congressional district, Eugene DePasquale for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 10th congressional district, and Congressman Conor Lamb for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district. Each of these candidates received the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction, a prerequisite for being considered for endorsement.

Reps. Fitzpatrick, Wild, Cartwright, and Lamb have championed gun safety in the U.S. House, including voting for H.R. 8, which would require background checks on all gun sales, and H.R. 1112, which would address the “Charleston Loophole.” Eugene DePasquale is running on a gun safety platform that includes support for background checks on all gun sales and other common-sense gun safety measures.

“The data makes one thing crystal clear — gun safety is going to be a winning issue in each and every competitive race this year,” said Charlie Kelly, senior political advisor for Everytown for Gun Safety. “These endorsements are the first step in our election efforts, which will be a devastating one-two punch, combining unprecedented resources and unmatched grassroots power to send gun sense candidates from across the country to Washington.”

“If we want to end gun violence in this country, it’s going to take courageous leaders who will stand up for gun safety,” said Katie Leslie, a volunteer with the Pennsylvania chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We can’t afford more lives to be cut short because of inaction in Congress. That’s why we’ll work tirelessly to elect a U.S. Congress that will continue to prioritize gun safety.”

Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund announced a $250,000 digital campaign in February to put Pennsylvania state lawmakers “on notice” and pressure them to pass gun safety measures, including extreme risk legislation — also known as red flag legislation — and comprehensive background checks on all gun sales. Everytown is also unveiling voter research, which found that voters in Pennsylvania support stronger gun safety laws by a 9:1 margin and 78% of voters, including 82% of voters who support stronger gun laws, consider a candidate’s position on guns “very important” to their vote in 2020.

In April, Students Demand Action, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, announced the launch of its Pennsylvania Virtual Field Office, part of a $1.5 million effort by Everytown and Students Demand Action to register 100,000 young voters across the country ahead of the 2020 election.

Polling released last week demonstrates the surging intensity of Americans’ support for common-sense gun safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic, with a significant majority of Americans viewing background checks on all gun sales and disarming domestic abusers “more important” now than before the pandemic began.

Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Victory Fund plan to spend at least $60 million on the 2020 elections — double what they spent during the 2018 elections, and more than any gun safety opponent, including the NRA, reported spending on the 2016 elections.