Everytown For Gun Safety Action Fund Endorses Cal Cunningham for U.S. Senate in North Carolina

Cal Cunningham Has Made Gun Safety a Priority; in the U.S. Senate He’ll Fight for Common-Sense Gun Safety Laws to Protect North Carolinians

NEW YORK – Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund endorsed Army veteran Cal Cunningham for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, lauding his commitment to gun safety. Earlier this year, Cunningham received the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction, a prerequisite for being considered for endorsement. 

As an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, Cal Cunningham understands that gun safety and responsible gun ownership are one and the same. As vice chairman of Governor Cooper’s Crime Commission, Cunningham helped craft policy recommendations to reduce gun violence in schools. And as a candidate, he has pledged to keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them by supporting efforts to expand background checks,, pass extreme risk laws, and fund gun violence research.

Cunningham’s opponent, Sen. Thom Tillis, has been a consistent roadblock to common-sense gun safety and was the biggest beneficiary of NRA money in 2014, receiving nearly $4.5 million. 

“As a veteran and a gun owner, Cal Cunningham knows that responsible gun ownership goes hand-in-hand with common sense gun laws,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Everytown is proud to support Cunningham’s campaign against Thom Tillis, who takes millions in political support from the gun lobby while standing in the way of long-overdue gun safety reforms.”

“Cal Cunningham is a dedicated public servant, a veteran, and a tried and true advocate for gun safety, while Senator Tillis’ name is almost a synonym for the gun lobby,” said Claire Kempner, a volunteer with North Carolina Moms Demand Action. “North Carolinians can trust that Cal Cunningham is the right choice to fight for our safety.” 

Voters in N.C. support stronger gun laws by a 6:1 margin and 79% consider a candidate’s position on guns “very important” to their vote in 2020.

Polling released last month demonstrates the surging intensity of Americans’ support for common-sense gun safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic, with a significant majority of Americans viewing background checks on all gun sales and disarming domestic abusers “more important” now than before the pandemic began.  

Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Victory Fund plan to spend at least $60 million on the 2020 elections — double what they spent during the 2018 elections, and more than any gun safety opponent, including the NRA, reported spending on the 2016 elections.