Everytown Also Unveiling New Survey Indicating Voters in These States Support Stronger Gun Laws by a 5:1 Margin and 76% Consider a Candidate’s Position on Guns “Very Important” to Their Vote in 2020
This Week, Everytown Announced $60 Million Electoral Program for 2020 — Double What it Spent in 2018
NEW YORK — Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund announced a $1.25 million digital campaign, which will run over the next several months in five battleground states — Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania — in order to put state legislators “on notice” and pressure them to pass common-sense gun safety legislation. Everytown also unveiled a new survey, which found that voters in these states support stronger gun laws by a 5:1 margin and 76% of voters consider a candidate’s position on guns “very important” to their vote.
“Voters from the Sun Belt to the Rust Belt are deeply concerned about our nation’s gun violence crisis,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety. “So we’re putting state legislators on notice: Listen to the public and pass meaningful gun safety laws, or bear the brunt of a targeted campaign to hold you accountable for your inaction in 2020. The outcome of Virginia’s 2019 election should be a lesson to all lawmakers.”
Everytown, along with the volunteers in its grassroots networks Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, have called for state legislators to pass common-sense gun safety legislation such as background checks on all gun sales, red flag legislation and laws to disarm domestic abusers. However, majorities that control each legislature have thus far refused to take action.
The digital campaign announcement represents Everytown’s first digital ad campaign pressuring state legislators in 2020, and the first since Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Victory Fund spent $2.5 million to flip Virginia’s General Assembly to elect a gun sense majority in November 2019. Earlier this week, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Victory Fund announced it would spend at least $60 million on the 2020 elections.
VIEW AN EXAMPLE OF THE FIRST ROUND OF ADS HERE.
Sample ad text in North Carolina reads:
1,300 North Carolinians are shot and killed every year.
North Carolina lawmakers, you are ON NOTICE.
Tell North Carolina lawmakers: Pass effective gun safety laws. Send a message.
The digital campaign announcement accompanies the release of a new poll conducted by Global Strategy Group on behalf of Everytown. The results of the poll show overwhelming support from voters in battleground states (AZ, IA, MN, NC, and PA) for stronger gun laws and that a candidate’s position on guns will be a major factor in their vote in 2020.
READ THE SURVEY MEMO RESULTS HERE.
The poll found a majority of respondents – including critical swing groups like independents, suburban women, and undecided voters – support legislation that would require background checks on all gun sales (86% support) and block domestic abusers from owning guns (91% support). The majority of respondents also supported the enactment of red flag laws, which give family or law enforcement a way to remove guns from someone who is exhibiting violent or unstable behavior (80% support).
Additional key findings include:
- Voters support stronger gun laws by a 5:1 margin (53% stronger/10% less strong);
- Voters broadly agree that it is possible to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and other dangerous people while also protecting the rights of gun owners (65% possible/35% not possible);
- 57% of voters, including a majority of Republican women (54%) would never vote for a candidate who doesn’t support background checks; and
- Nearly 60% of voters are less likely to vote for a candidate who opposes a red flag law, while nearly 70% of voters are less likely to support someone who stands in the way of background checks for all gun sales.
Global Strategy Group conducted a survey of at least 600 likely voters in five states (Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania) for a total of 3,185 interviews from January 2-12, 2020.