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Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, Moms Demand Action Award 2020 Presidential Gun Sense Candidate Distinctions

9.12.2019

17 Candidates for President Received Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinctions  

NEW YORK – Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown, today announced the awarding of the 2020 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinctions to the following presidential candidates:

  • Senator Michael Bennet 
  • Former Vice President Joe Biden
  • Senator Cory Booker
  • Governor Steve Bullock
  • Mayor Pete Buttigieg
  • Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro 
  • Mayor Bill de Blasio 
  • Former Representative John Delaney
  • Representative Tulsi Gabbard
  • Senator Kamala Harris
  • Senator Amy Klobuchar
  • Former Representative Beto O’Rourke
  • Representative Tim Ryan
  • Senator Bernie Sanders
  • Businessman Tom Steyer
  • Senator Elizabeth Warren
  • Entrepreneur Andrew Yang

“The overwhelming majority of American voters are demanding common-sense gun laws — so it’s no surprise the overwhelming majority of presidential candidates have committed to take action on gun safety if they win the White House,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “The fact that so many presidential candidates participated in our Gun Sense Candidate program is the latest proof that the political calculus around gun safety has undergone a seismic shift.”

“Gun Sense Candidates are committed to ending gun violence, and our volunteers are committed to getting one of them into the White House,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Since our founding, we’ve made so much progress strengthening gun laws in state legislatures across the country, and we elected a gun sense majority in the House of Representatives. Now, we need a Gun Sense President, too.”

Everytown announced the inaugural presidential Gun Sense Candidate program in May 2019, following the creation of the Gun Sense Candidate program for state lawmakers and Congressional candidates during the 2018 cycle. 

There are two requirements in order to qualify for the Gun Sense Candidate distinction: first, completing an eighteen-part questionnaire focused on their positions on gun safety issues, and second, addressing Moms Demand Action members in-person. Sixteen candidates discussed their commitment to gun safety with Moms Demand Action members – including volunteers and gun violence survivors – during Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund’s Presidential Gun Sense Forum in Des Moines, Iowa, on August 10. Subsequently, candidates addressed Moms Demand Action members in person during August Recess, with other in-person meetings scheduled. All major presidential candidates of both political parties were invited to participate in this program. 

Gun Sense Candidates will receive recognition from Everytown and Moms Demand Action; may use the distinction logo on campaign materials and social media; and may engage Moms Demand Action volunteers in campaign related activities. Candidates also have access to Everytown’s extensive publicly available resources on policy, research and messaging and to Everytown policy experts for questions about those resources.

The presidential Gun Sense Candidate distinction is a signal to our nearly 6 million supporters and volunteers across the country that a candidate stands up for gun violence prevention. The 2020 presidential cycle has been notable for candidates proudly embracing gun safety as an issue to run and win on, and with candidates releasing robust gun violence prevention plans. The Gun Sense Candidate distinction is not an endorsement from Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America or Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund. Receiving the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate distinction is a prerequisite for being considered for endorsement. 

In the few states with 2019 races, Gun Sense Candidate distinctions are being awarded now. Everytown and Moms Demand Action will unveil the 2020 program for candidates for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and State Legislature early next year.

In its inaugural year of 2018, the Gun Sense Candidate program recognized more than 3,000 candidates in 48 states who were running for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and State Legislature. 

Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers are already attending candidate forums to elevate the issue of gun safety around the country — and will continue to do so until the 2020 election.