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We applaud the elections of Brady-endorsed gun violence prevention champions in Congress and state legislatures, like Lucy McBath, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Kathy Hochul, and Josh Shapiro. These victories, along with the ballot initiative victory in Oregon, are indicative that gun violence prevention is a winning issue.
Washington, D.C., November 9, 2022 – The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is eager to work with members of the incoming 118th Congress and state legislatures across the country to fulfill the will of the American people by enacting meaningful legislation to tackle the gun violence epidemic in the U.S.
This year, Brady worked with federal lawmakers to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the Biden-Harris administration to crack down on untraceable ghost guns, confirm a new ATF director, and other vital administrative actions. Brady also helped pass more than 30 gun violence prevention laws at the state and local level, including in New York, New Jersey, Delaware and California.
On Tuesday, gun violence prevention remained a top priority for American voters, who elected a number of survivors and gun violence prevention champions to office, and in Oregon, voters passed a Brady-supported referendum - including a ban on high-capacity magazines - in Ballot Measure 114.
Looking to the next federal and state legislative sessions, Brady Campaign President Kris Brown said:
“Last night proved once again, that when gun violence is on the ballot, the American people will show up and vote to save lives. All across the country, candidates up and down the ballot put gun violence prevention at the top of their platforms, promising to deliver on common-sense gun violence solutions supported by the overwhelming majority of Americans.
We applaud the elections of Brady-endorsed gun violence prevention champions in Congress like Lucy McBath, an undisputed leader in Congress and a survivor, and Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a gun violence survivor who will be the first Generation Z member of Congress at 25 years old. These victories, along with the ballot initiative victory in Oregon, are indicative that gun violence prevention remains a critically important issue to voters and candidates who campaign as champions of gun safety can win decisively.
Equally that remains true at the state level, with the election of Kathy Hochul and Josh Shapiro to lead New York and Pennsylvania. Both of these candidates run in key states on clear and convincing gun violence prevention records and commitments to expand gun safety policies.
This year we saw how tireless advocacy and dedication finally pressured Congress to act and pass the most comprehensive bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation in decades. We need to build on that critical step with continued momentum, including increased action in state legislatures across the country.
We look forward to working with all lawmakers to expand on the extraordinary legislative accomplishments we’ve seen in the past year to build a safer future for ourselves and our communities. What is abundantly clear is that for anyone to say they are ‘tough-on-crime,’ they must enact gun safety laws, including those that hold the industry accountable and keep illegal guns off our streets."
Robert Schentrup, gun violence survivor and Team ENOUGH co-founder, who noted that Team Enough activists, led by Generation Z activists, spent yesterday spreading a message of gun safety and had cause to celebrate:
“Last night, with our votes, we proved that Americans are sick and tired of ‘thoughts and prayers.’ Gun violence is the leading cause of death for American youth, and youth voter turnout numbers are making clear that we’re saying ‘enough’ and taking things into our own hands – enough of us growing up in fear of being shot and killed at schools, playgrounds, movie theaters, malls, and in our own homes and neighborhoods.
Maxwell Frost’s historic victory last night is emblematic of the change we are creating in our country, just as the victory of many other gun violence prevention champions across the country shows Americans across the country are joining us in making a safer future for all of us a top priority.”
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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.