In Key Battleground States, Everytown and Moms Demand Action Put State Lawmakers ‘On Notice’ With $1.25M Digital Campaign

Everytown Spent $2.5 Million to Flip Virginia’s General Assembly to Gun Sense Majority in November 2019 Elections

Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund released new in-state polling and announced new multi-faceted digital ad campaigns totaling $1.25 million in five battleground states — Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania — putting state legislators “on notice” and pressuring them to pass common-sense gun safety legislation. 

The new voter research found that voters across 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, making clear that in the key battleground states of Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, gun safety will be a pivotal issue during state legislative sessions and a litmus test for voters in the 2020 elections. Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund were the largest outside spender in Virginia’s 2019 elections, and will spend at least $60 million on the 2020 elections, double their 2018 election spending.

A sampling of national and in-state coverage is below:

Axios — Gun control group Everytown to spend $1.25 million on competitive state legislatures
“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,” Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a statement.

Raleigh News & Observer — After success in Virginia, group spending money to push for NC gun laws
“A group that spent millions of dollars in Virginia to help flip the legislature is planning to spend money in North Carolina aimed at the General Assembly and gun laws.” …

Claire Kempner, North Carolina chapter volunteer leader of Moms Demand Action, and first got involved after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed. “Gun safety is a winning issue among Democrats, Republicans and key voting demographics who decide elections,” Kempner said.

WNCN CBS17 in Raleigh —Despite NC surge in 2nd Amendment sanctuaries, group seeks gun laws ‘similar to Virginia’
“North Carolina is going to be a battleground state, and we are ready for the fight. Our legislators have done nothing to address the gun violence issue,” said [Carol Muth, a volunteer with North Carolina Moms Demand Action].

Duluth News Tribune — Everytown for Gun Safety to make $250k ad buy, aim to put Minn. Senate ‘on notice’
In Minnesota, the $250,000 digital ad campaign will roll out over the next several months and will urge voters to ask their lawmakers to support a pair of gun control measures aimed at enhancing background checks for some gun sales and transfers and allowing law enforcement to remove firearms if someone poses a danger to himself or others. …Molly Leutz, a volunteer with Minnesota Moms Demand Action and Everytown, said the new digital ad campaign is “just the beginning.”

Minneapolis Star Tribune — Dollars start pouring in for Minnesota gun debate
The spending spree is being timed with the release of a new poll by the Global Strategy Group finding that eight in 10 Minnesota voters support expanding background checks to cover private sales of firearms. More than seven in 10 also consider a candidate’s views on guns “very important” to their vote in 2020, the poll found.

Pennsylvania Capital-Star — Gun safety group Everytown launches $250K digital ad campaign in Pa.
[Pennsylvania Moms Demand Action volunteer] Katie Leslie has a simple message for state lawmakers who might be inclined to scoff at the gun violence reduction measures that Gov. Tom Wolf, with support from his Democratic allies in the General Assembly, rolled out during his annual budget address earlier this week:Do your jobs — and send the bills, which include long-awaited passage of a ‘Red Flag’ law to Wolf’s desk — or they’ll be coming for you at the ballot box in November.

KJZZ Arizona Public Radio —Poll: Arizona Voters Support Tougher Gun Laws By 8:1 Margin… [S]tatewide, 50% of voters supported stronger gun laws, while only 6% of voters felt gun laws should be less strong — an 8:1 margin.In districts where Republicans outnumbered Democrats by at least 14 points, voters still supported stronger gun laws by a 6:1 margin.

Des Moines Register — “a new digital ad campaign to pressure Iowa state senators to pass “red flag” legislation”
The group will spend $250,000 on multiple rounds of digital ads over the next several months and is running its first ad  this week. Called “Iowa: On Notice,” the ad will run digitally statewide and focus on suburban women.The group plans to spend $60 million across the country in 2020. The group also conducted a poll of Iowa voters in January and found 90% support for blocking domestic abusers from owning guns, 81% support for requiring background checks on all gun sales and 75% support for enacting red flag laws.