New Poll by Found Pennsylvania Voters Overwhelmingly Support Stronger Guns Laws by a 9:1 Margin, and That Gun Safety Messaging Deployed by Everytown in Marquee Races Has Been Highly Impactful
Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund and Action Fund Invested More Than $1.6 Million in Pennsylvania This Cycle, Targeting Races in the state House and state Senate to Determine Control of the State Legislature
Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers Have Made Nearly 194,000 Calls And Texts to Support Gun Sense Candidates in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Penn. — Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Victory Fund (“Everytown”) unveiled new polling of Pennsylvania voters, which found, just days before Election Day, that candidates’ position on gun policy is important in deciding who to vote for and voters believe the need for background checks on all gun sales is more important now than it was a year ago.The survey also found that gun safety-themed messaging, deployed by Everytown in its paid advertising campaigns in Pennsylvania, has been highly effective at impacting Pennsylvania voters.
Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund and Action Fund have invested more than $1.6 million in Pennsylvania this cycle in order to elect gun sense champions running for the state legislature in an effort to elect gun sense majorities to both chambers of the General Assembly.
“Gun safety is an issue that touches voters on a personal level, and it can cut through the Trump-created chaos and shape their choices at the ballot box,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “This newest polling gives us a hint of what’s already happening at the polls: Pennsylvania voters turning out in force to reject lawmakers who have blocked progress for so long.”
“Once again the data shows that gun safety is a triple threat – it mobilizes, persuades, and has become a litmus test issue for voters across battleground states,” said Charlie Kelly, senior political advisor for Everytown for Gun Safety. “Our messaging this cycle is effective because people are tired of inaction on gun violence and politicians in the pocket of the gun lobby.”
“These numbers show the influence we’ve had keeping gun safety positions a top issue in Pennsylvania,” said Marybeth Christiansen, a volunteer with Pennsylvania Moms Demand Action. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the gun lobby and to the lawmakers beholden to them, because Pennsylvania voters are winning the battle for gun safety at the ballot box.”
The poll, conducted by Schoen Cooperman Research, surveyed 475 Pennsylvania voters. Findings include:
- Messaging deployed by Everytown is highly persuasive and effectively improves the horserace for Democrats in races up and down the ballot.
- 85% of likely voters — including 84% of suburban women — say a candidate’s position on gun policy is important in deciding who to vote for;
- By a 9:1 margin, Pennsylvania voters believe their state’s gun laws should be made stronger, not less strong;
- 56% of Pennsylvania voters believe the need for background checks on all gun sales is more important now, during the pandemic, than a year ago;
- 61% of suburban women and 60% of all likely voters say that an endorsement by the NRA makes no difference to their vote or makes them less likely to vote for a candidate who is endorsed by the NRA.
Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund and Action Fund spent more than $1.6 million in Pennsylvania during this election cycle, including:
State Legislature:
- $1.6 million to elect gun sense majorities to both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. As part of this effort, Everytown targeted more than a dozen House (HD-018, HD-026, HD-028, HD-030, HD-044, HD-105, HD-106, HD-144, HD-147, HD-152, HD-160, HD-189) and Senate (SD-013, SD-015, SD-037, SD-049) races with candidate-specific digital and direct mail campaigns.
- By Election Day, Everytown’s digital ads will have been seen an estimated 33 million times, and its direct mail will have reached 181,000 households.
Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers have also made nearly 194,000 calls and texts to Pennsylvania voters to support gun sense candidates across the state.