Everytown Spent $500,000 in Sheriffs Elections This Year, Successfully Ousting Gun Lobby-Backed Paul Pacheco as Part of Sheriff Engagement Effort
Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers Made Over Six Million Voter Contacts to Support Gun Sense Candidates Across the Country
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M — Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund and Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and its grassroots networks, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, declared a major victory today as voters rejected gun lobby-backed Paul Pacheco and elected John Allen as Bernalillo County Sheriff.
“When it comes to saving lives, passing gun safety laws is just the first step — we also need to make sure they’re enforced, and John Allen will do exactly that,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Everytown was proud to support Allen’s campaign, and stand ready to help him keep Bernalillo County residents safe from gun violence.”
“Our volunteers were proud to help elect gun sense champion John Allen as sheriff, because when it comes to enforcing gun safety laws there’s no room for politics,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “Sheriff-elect Allen has committed to putting the safety of our communities and families first and we look forward to working with him to help prevent gun violence.”
“Sheriffs are elected to protect our communities, and John Allen will be the sheriff Bernalillo County deserves and will fight for our safety in office,” said Arielle Giddens, a volunteer with the New Mexico chapter of Moms Demand Action.. “We’ll have Sheriff-elect Allen’s back as he works to protect our communities from gun violence.”
Building on Everytown’s first major investment in sheriffs elections as part of a pilot program last year in Erie County, PA, Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund and Everytown for Gun Safety Massachusetts IE PAC this year expanded its efforts to run a $500,000 sheriff election engagement program focused on two races where there were clear contrasts on gun safety, including in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, where Paul Pacheco stood with the gun lobby and would have put our families and communities at risk. More information is available here.
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