Gun control activists are ramping up spending to elect presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris as president and help Democrats capture the House of Representatives in November.
GIFFORDS, a gun violence prevention group founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, announced a $15 million campaign Friday targeting voters in battleground states. The ad spending will go toward television, digital advertising and direct mail, as well as sending Giffords and her surrogates to support Harris and down-ballot candidates who support stricter gun laws.
“With just over 100 days until the election, GIFFORDS will be redoubling its efforts to support those committed to saving lives, including ensuring Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the next President of the United States,” said Emma Brown, CEO of GIFFORDS.
The multimillion-dollar campaign will focus on key presidential battleground states like Michigan and Arizona, and key congressional districts in California and New York that could determine control of the House of Representatives next year, NBC News first reported.
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Giffords speaks during a campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)
“Across the country, Americans are very clear: They want elected leaders who will stand up to the gun lobby and put public safety first,” Brown said.
GIFFORDS pointed to an internal poll conducted in June that found 70% of American voters in the contested districts are “extremely” or “very” concerned about gun violence. The group argues that key voting groups, particularly women, Latinos and African Americans, strongly support stricter gun laws and will make a difference in close races if they are motivated to go to the polls.
“This year is critically important, and we look forward to supporting allies committed to preventing gun violence at all levels of government, from the state legislature to Congress, and providing Vice President Harris with effective governing partners when she wins in November,” Brown said.
A Fox News poll conducted in June found that 45% of Americans considered guns to be an “extremely important” issue, making it the seventh most “extremely important” issue to voters out of a list of 10 issues. The top-rated issues were “the future of American democracy” (68%), “the economy” (66%) and “stability and normalcy” (58%).
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Giffords departs after a campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)
Erich Pratt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America, a Second Amendment advocacy group, disputed the claim that gun control is a motivating issue for large swaths of voters.
“It is undeniable that the policies of Kamala Harris and this administration are responsible for the crime crisis our nation is currently facing. The threat of confiscation of common self-defense firearms, coupled with the leniency of crime enforcement officials at the state and local level in major urban centers across the country, have not helped Americans feel safe,” Pratt told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“If groups like GIFFORDS really cared about reducing violence, they would be urging Harris, a former prosecutor, to mobilize U.S. attorneys against violent criminals. But instead, they would rather push for unconstitutional disarmament that leaves ordinary Americans defenseless. That won't go over well with swing state voters.”
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Harris prepares to swear in Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) with his wife Gabrielle Giffords in the Old Senate Chamber for the swearing-in ceremony on January 3, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Gabrielle Giffords, a former Democratic representative from Arizona, was seriously injured in an assassination attempt in 2011 when a gunman shot her in the head during an event in her district. The former congresswoman co-founded her eponymous group a decade ago to “end the gun lobby’s hold on our political system,” according to GIFFORDS’ website.
Her husband is Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who is reportedly a leading candidate to be Harris' running mate.
Giffords appeared at an event for Harris on Thursday at the Salt & Light Church in Pennsylvania, where she met with community activists in Philadelphia. The predominantly Black neighborhood where she spoke has been plagued by gun violence, including an incident last weekend in which three people were killed and at least six others injured.
Giffords spoke briefly about her long recovery from the 2011 shooting that killed six people during a meeting with constituents at a Tucson grocery store. Other Harris surrogates, including Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton, framed the November presidential contest as a choice between Harris signing an assault weapons ban and more gun violence under Republican Donald Trump, who has the support of gun rights groups.
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“We are overwhelmed by the violence across America, from rural Pennsylvania to inner-city neighborhoods like where we find ourselves today,” McClinton said. “We, as voters, can make the choice to have a more violent America or safer communities all over the country.”
Both Giffords and McClinton, an ally of Gov. Josh Shapiro who is also being considered for the Democratic vice presidential nomination, sidestepped questions about the election. Giffords aides told The Associated Press that the event had been planned long before President Biden dropped out and endorsed Harris for his job — and certainly before her husband emerged as a potential candidate to run in 2024.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
