Everytown Supporters, Alongside Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers, Made More Than 12 Million Voter Contacts To Support Gun Sense Candidates Nationwide
SALEM, Ore. — In a significant victory for gun safety and major defeat for gun lobby-backed extremists, Oregon voters elected Dan Rayfield as Attorney General and Tobias Read as Secretary of State. In response, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and its grassroots networks Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, released the following statements.
“Dan Rayfield and Tobias Read both have strong track records of fighting hard to keep Oregonians safe from gun violence, and Everytown is eager to partner with them to advance more life-saving measures,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Oregon voters have made it clear they want common-sense laws to keep guns out of dangerous hands, and Rayfield and Read are committed to delivering exactly that.”
“Electing Dan Rayfield as Attorney General and Tobias Read as Secretary of State is a powerful combination for advancing gun safety in Oregon,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “We’re proud to have leaders who are committed to ensuring that communities across the state can live free from the constant threat of gun violence.”
“By electing Dan Rayfield and Tobias Read, Oregon voters are sending a strong message: protecting the lives of Oregonians should come before the interests of the gun lobby and the dangerous MAGA agenda,” said Amie Wexler, a volunteer with the Oregon Chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We congratulate them on their victory and look forward to working with them to end our gun violence crisis in Oregon.”
During his tenure as Speaker of the Oregon House, Dan Rayfield championed gun safety measures, including supporting Extreme Risk laws and advocating for a ban on ghost guns. In 2018, as part of his role overseeing the Oregon State Treasury, Tobias Read increased its scrutiny of gun-related manufacturers by setting principles and guidelines for how to engage with gun-related manufacturers in an effort to push for gun safety policies.
Earlier this year, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Victory Fund announced a $45 million major electoral program, which included launching a new grassroots voter contact program to help elect gun sense candidates and defeat gun extremists up and down the ballot in key swing districts and states. As part of the electoral program, Everytown hired and deployed 36 field organizers across ten states.