Gun Safety is on the Ballot in Arizona, Here’s What to Know as Voters Head to the Polls for the 2024 Election

Early Voting is Already Underway and Runs Through November 1st  

PHOENIX – As voters are already making their way to the polls, the stakes for gun safety could not be higher across every office on the ballot. Arizona lacks foundational gun safety laws, ranking 42nd in the country for the strength of its gun safety laws.  Electing gun sense champions at every level is critical to making progress on gun safety — because gun extremists in office have put communities at greater risk thanks to the gun lobby’s “guns everywhere” agenda. 

“In recent years, extremists have taken over the legislature and now their legacy is weakening our gun laws, including repealing Arizona’s concealed weapons permitting requirements. This November we have an opportunity to put that behind us,”  said Marisa Scionti, a volunteer with the Arizona chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Fortunately, over the past two years, Governor Katie Hobbs served as our last line of defense, vetoing extreme legislation time and again. But to truly address the gun violence crisis, we need gun sense candidates elected across the board so that it’s not dangerous legislation getting to the Governor’s desk, but common sense measures to actually keep our communities safe.”

Here’s What to Know About the Extremist Legislation Passed Under the Leadership of Arizona’s Republican Legislative Majority, And Vetoed by Governor Hobbs:

• Legislation to extend Arizona’s preemption law and restrict the power of local governments to prohibit gun shows from occurring in their cities or counties if they so choose. A similar measure was also vetoed last year by Governor Hobbs.
• Legislation to broaden the ability to use deadly force on uninhabited ranch and farm land. The bill could have driven an increase in armed vigilantism, especially against migrants, potentially provoking deadly violence.
• Legislation to force Arizona universities, colleges and community colleges to let people carry guns on campus – including in classrooms, dorms, and at sporting events. 

While gun-lobby-backed Republicans were passing extremist measures, lawmakers denied a hearing to HB 2192 or Christian’s Law, which would have required secure storage of firearms in the home. 

Gun safety advocates in Arizona are prepared to vote out the elected officials who have stood in the way of progress because they know that their communities deserve stronger gun safety laws that will save lives. In states where elected officials have taken action to pass gun safety laws, fewer people die by gun violence. 

Here’s a list of Moms Demand Action volunteers in Arizona who have taken their advocacy into their campaign and are running for office: 

• Judy Schwiebert, State Senator, AZ-SD-02
• Christine Marsh, State Senator, AZ-SD-04
• Haley Creighton, State Senator, AZ-SD-07
• Alan Smith, State Senator, AZ-SD-15
• Kelli Butler, State Representative, AZ-HD-04
• Karen Gresham, State Representative, AZ-HD-04
• Aaron Marquez, State Representative, AZ-HD-05
• Brandy Reese, State Representative AZ-HD-13
• Nancy Gutierrez, State Representative, AZ-HD-18
• Consuelo Hernandez, State Representative, AZ-HD-21
• Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, State Representative, AZ-HD-21
• Deborah Howard, State Representative, AZ-HD-27

Earlier this month, Everytown released a new poll on Arizona legislative races showing the power of gun safety for voters. A full memo is available here, and key findings include:

• Specific gun violence prevention policies enjoy widespread majority support. Polling on gun issues has long shown clear support for specific gun policies that transcends party lines, and the battleground here is no exception. In this current poll, the most popular gun safety proposals are background checks (78% strong support), prohibiting domestic abusers from owning guns (71%), and safe storage measures (70%).  More information is available here. 

Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund and Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund invested more than $1.6 million in Arizona for the 2024 elections, launching digital ads and direct mailers that ran across targeted federal and state legislative battleground districts and focused on highlighting Arizona MAGA Republicans’ opposition to common-sense gun safety laws and the extreme guns everywhere agenda they would push in Phoenix. 

In an average year, 1,290 people die and 2,125 are wounded by guns in Arizona. Gun violence costs Arizona $15.9 billion each year, of which $253.2 million is paid by taxpayers. If Arizona had the gun death rate of our National Leaders—the eight states with the strongest gun safety laws—we could save 11,161 lives in the next decade. More information about gun violence in Arizona is available here and here. 

If you are interested in speaking with a survivor of gun violence in Arizona, Moms Demand Action or Students Demand volunteer, or a policy expert please reach out to [email protected].