ICYMI – WaPo: Poll Shows Gun Policy is Top Issue for Virginia Voters, and Majorities Support Gun Safety Proposals

This morning The Washington Post published a story on a new poll that reveals “three out of four voters rate gun policy as a “very important” issue in casting their ballots, and majorities support proposals pitched by the Democrats.” 

“This poll is further evidence that Virginia’s elected officials who side with the gun lobby in opposing widely popular and common-sense solutions should be extremely worried,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Voters are increasingly motivated to cast their ballots based on a candidate’s position on gun violence, and those highly motivated voters are increasingly siding with gun safety candidates. For the first time, pro-gun safety voters are now more motivated than anti-gun safety voters and that gap is widening. We expect this trend to continue in Virginia and across the country.” 

Last month, Everytown unveiled a new national survey of 2020 voters nationwide — with oversampling of voters in Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina and Ohio — which found that voters overwhelmingly want action on gun safety, and are ready to vote out politicians who do nothing to curb gun violence. The poll also showed that voters won’t be fooled by ineffective half-measures that don’t make a real difference. 

Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund has previously announced major electoral work in Virginia’s 2019 elections, including:

• A commitment to spend $2.5 million in Virginia’s 2019 elections.
• Launching a $550,000 digital ad offensive in 15 Republican-held districts.
• Contributing $100,000 to Missy Cotter Smasal’s campaign in Virginia’s 8th Senate District, $50,000 to Debra Rodman’s campaign for Virginia’s 12th Senate District,  $100,000 to Sheila Bynum-Coleman’s campaign in Virginia’s 66th House District and $75,000 to John Bell’s campaign in Virginia’s 13th Senate District to help air each candidate’s gun safety-themed TV ads. The ad buys totaled $740,000.
• Endorsing 25 candidates — 22 running in the most competitive districts in the commonwealth — and making $113,000 in direct contributions to endorsed candidates.
• Contributing $125,000 to the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus, $100,000 to the Virginia House Democratic Caucus and $100,000 to Take the Majority (Democratic Party of Virginia).
• Launching $135,000 in digital ads in 14 Republican-held Virginia state-House and Senate districts.