Gun Sense Champion Kwame Raoul Elected Attorney General
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund today applauded the election of gun safety champions J.B. Pritzker and Kwame Raoul, who were both endorsed by Everytown, as governor and attorney general.
Pritzker defeated Gov. Bruce Rauner, who earlier this year vetoed the Gun Dealer Licensing Act, popular gun safety legislation that gun violence prevention groups across Illinois have been pushing for years. After the governor’s veto, lawmakers passed the bipartisan Combating Illegal Gun Trafficking Act, seeking to address the governor’s concerns while also doing more to fight gun trafficking, but Gov. Rauner said he planned to veto that bill, too.
“Bruce Rauner chose politics over public safety when he blocked common-sense legislation to prevent gun violence — but Illinois voters just made it clear the politics on this issue have flipped in favor of gun safety,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “J.B. Pritzker is the leader Illinois voters have been waiting for — a gun sense champion who will work with state legislators to keep guns away from people with dangerous histories.”
“When it comes to public safety, voters have long memories,” said Cindy McMullan, a volunteer leader with the Illinois chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “We haven’t forgotten. There’s widespread support for sensible gun laws in Illinois, and it’s not surprising voters chose a governor who will work with the legislature to make the state safer.”
Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund also endorsed Lauren Underwood, who unseated Rep. Randy Hultgren in the state’s 14th Congressional District, as well as Rep. Robin Kelly and Rep. Mike Quigley, who were re-elected in the state’s 2nd and 5th Congressional Districts, respectively.
This election cycle, Moms Demand Action volunteers and gun violence survivors in Illinois phonebanked and went door-to-door in support of gun sense candidates, holding more than 5,000 conversations at doors and more than 17,000 phone conversations.
