Candidates Who Received Support Including Grassroots Activity and Financial Investments from Everytown and Moms Demand Action Won their Races; Oregon Shows that Gun Safety is a Winning Issue, Looks Ahead to Continued Improvements in State Gun Laws
SALEM, Ore. – Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and the Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America declared victory in races across the state for candidates from Governor Kate Brown, to gun sense champions like Representative Paul Evans and others who voted yes on the 2015 background check bill who won their election because Gun Sense Voters supported elected officials who will stand up to the gun lobby and take action to protect Oregon families and communities from gun violence. Next year, gun safety advocates from Moms Demand Action will continue to push for safer gun laws in the statehouse, including closing the Charleston Loophole and keeping guns out of the hands of stalkers and abusive dating partners.
This election, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and the Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action supported candidates with phonebanking, canvassing and financial contributions. In fact, on October 29, volunteers with the Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action held a rally with Governor Kate Brown ahead of a canvass for Representative Paul Evans, who won his election.
“Oregon Moms have proven time and time again that gun sense champions who stand on the side of public safety will get our vote,” said Zicra Lukin, volunteer chapter leader for Oregon Moms Demand Action, part of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Oregon has proven to be a leader in gun violence prevention, but there is still more that we can do. That’s why as we look ahead to 2017, we’ll be counting on our elected leaders to continue to work together to pass common-sense gun legislation that will help keep guns out of dangerous hands and save lives.”
“As a gun owner, I stand with our elected leaders who know that common-sense gun laws go hand-in-hand with support for the Second Amendment. That’s why it was imperative to elect leaders who have proven to stand on the side of gun safety this election,” said Paul Kemp, whose brother-in-law Steve Forsyth was shot and killed during the 2012 Clackamas Town Center shooting and member of the Everytown Survivor Network, part of Everytown for Gun Safety. “I am proud that elected officials in Oregon have been leaders in passing gun laws to help save lives. The election of gun sense champions in Oregon is an important step to keep up this progress and to protect more Oregonians.”
In total, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund made contributions of $147,000 during the 2016 election in Oregon. Everytown contributed $102,500 to Future PAC House Builders and $17,500 to the Senate Democratic Leadership Fund, both of which made gun safety a pillar of their support for candidates.
Everytown and the Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action have more than 35,000 supporters in the state who were instrumental in achieving these victories. Leading up to the elections, volunteers made more than 7,000 calls to Oregon voters and signed up more than 1,500 Gun Sense Voters in targeted districts.
This is the second successful election season in a row where electing gun sense champions – and holding those who side with the extremist gun lobby accountable – has shown the power of gun safety advocates in Oregon. During the 2014 elections, Everytown strategically invested in Oregon to support grassroots organizing, direct mail, paid advertising and digital advertising to identify Gun Sense Voters and turn them out to vote. The Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action also launched an unprecedented effort to educate and mobilize gun sense voters and remove Senators Betsy Close and Bruce Starr, who previously blocked background check legislation, from office. That cleared the way for the 2015 passage of Senate Bill 941, legislation to require criminal background checks for all gun sales. Following the passage of SB 941, political extremists threatened recalls of four state legislators who voted in support of the background check bill. All attempts to recall lawmakers who voted for background checks for all gun sales failed.