Dunnavant Has Spent Her Career Voting With the NRA; Rodman TV Ad Concludes: “Siobhan Dunnavant Does What the NRA Wants, and Now She’s Lying to Cover it Up”
Dunnavant Laughably Claimed to Support a “Federal Ban on Bump Stocks,” Even Though She Voted Against Banning Bump Stocks in Virginia Senate — In TV Ad, Dunnavant Even Invoked Moms Demand Action
RICHMOND, Va. — In a new TV ad, Delegate Debra Rodman, who is challenging NRA ‘A’ rated State Senator Siobhan Dunnavant for Virginia’s 12th Senate District, blasts Dunnavant for pretending to support gun violence prevention measures in a blatant effort to mislead voters.
WATCH: “LYING.”
Earlier this month, Dunnavant aired a baseless TV ad in which she suggested she was supportive of common-sense gun laws, claimed to support prohibiting bump stocks, and seemed to invoke the name of Moms Demand Action, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety — the country’s largest gun violence prevention organization.
In reality, Dunnavant has received an ‘A’ rating from the NRA, been endorsed by the NRA, received NRA donations and spent her career voting with the NRA. She voted to weaken standards for people carrying concealed guns in public, voted to overturn a ban on guns in places of worship, and voted to block background checks on all gun sales and red flag legislation following the Virginia Beach mass shooting. She also voted against banning bump stocks in the Virginia State Senate.
Recent polling has found gun policy to be the top issue among Virginia voters ahead of next month’s election — perhaps explaining why Dunnavant is pretending to align with voters on gun safety.
“As a mom, an active member of my community, and someone who knocks on our neighbors’ doors every day and talks to people about their hopes and their fears, I could have told Senator Dunnavant years ago that our community is concerned about gun violence. In fact, our community did tell her — but our calls, our letters, and our emails all fell on empty ears,” said Debra Rodman. “Henrico won’t reelect a bandwagon politician like Senator Dunnavant, who is just pretending that she supports gun violence prevention after spending her career voting against common-sense gun laws. Next year in the State Senate, I will do everything I can to protect our community from gun violence.”
“Voters won’t fall for the lies told by an NRA ‘A’ rated Senator like Siobhan Dunnavant, who pretends to support common-sense gun safety laws while voting in lockstep with the gun lobby,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “The public demanded change after the Virginia Beach shooting, the Republican majority said ‘No,’ and now voters will hold them accountable in the November elections.”
“It was insulting to see Senator Dunanvant, with her NRA ‘A’ rating, pretend that she’s an advocate for gun violence prevention after spending her career working with the NRA to weaken and block common-sense gun laws,” said Courtney Champion, a Richmond-area volunteer leader with Virginia Moms Demand Action. “That’s why real gun violence prevention advocates are doing everything we can to replace Senator Dunnavant with Debra Rodman, a true gun sense champion who will pass legislation to keep us safe.”
Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund has endorsed Senator Dunnavant’s opponent, Debra Rodman, in the race for Virginia’s 12th Senate District, donated $5,000 to her campaign, and contributed another $50,000 to her campaign to help air a gun safety-themed TV ad that contrasts Rodman’s strong support for gun safety with Senator Dunnavant’s record of blocking common-sense gun measures in the General Assembly. Senator Dunnavant has an A-rating from the NRA and has also taken $1,000 in NRA money.
Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund’s previously announced electoral work in Virginia’s 2019 elections includes:
- A commitment to spend $2.5 million in Virginia’s 2019 elections.
- Launching digital ad campaigns totaling almost $700,000 in 15 Republican-held districts.
- Launching nearly $700,000 in direct mail.
- Contributing $100,000 to Missy Cotter Smasal’s campaign in Virginia’s 8th Senate District, $50,000 to Debra Rodman’s campaign for Virginia’s 12th Senate District, $100,000 to Sheila Bynum-Coleman’s campaign in Virginia’s 66th House District and $75,000 to John Bell’s campaign in Virginia’s 13th Senate District to help air each candidate’s gun safety-themed TV ads. The ad buys totaled $600,000.
- Endorsing 25 candidates — 22 running in the most competitive districts in the commonwealth — and making $113,000 in direct contributions to endorsed candidates.
- Contributing $125,000 to the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus, $100,000 to the Virginia House Democratic Caucus and $100,000 to Take the Majority (Democratic Party of Virginia).
- Unveiling results of a battleground message poll, which found gun safety to be a top issue among voters in swing areas of Virginia.