Tuesday’s Real Winner: Gun Sense

From coast to coast on Tuesday, candidates who made gun safety a key part of their policy platform won their races. Just two days after the horrific mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, voters in Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington and Pennsylvania delivered decisive victories for candidates with gun sense.

This is no coincidence: exit polls proved these victories are a direct result of citizens rejecting the gun lobby’s radical agenda. The National Rifle Association spent $2 million to defeat gun safety candidates in Virginia, but in the end, voters sent a clear message by electing Ralph Northam, a doctor and veteran who proudly touted his NRA F-rating and supported gun safety.

These results are, in large part, the culmination of tireless work by Moms Demand Action volunteers, gun violence survivors, other advocates and ordinary Americans who have organized in their communities around this issue. Now, our hard work is paying off, and momentum is on our side. Any lawmakers or politicians running in 2108 should take note: get behind gun safety or get out of politics.

And not just because it’s immoral to oppose addressing gun violence, it’s also a losing argument. In Virginia, home of the NRA’s headquarters, the gun lobby’s candidates lost the top three statewide races, despite their investment of more than $2 million. Governor-Elect Northam, Lieutenant Governor-Elect Justin Fairfax, Attorney General Mark Herring and Delegates-Elect Chris Hurst and John Bell all ran in support of gun safety and won. Hurst, whose decision to run was partly inspired by the shooting of his girlfriend, Alison Parker, on live television, achieved a 24-point swing in his district — a major upset the conservative southwest part of the state.

In New Jersey, gun sense candidates Phil Murphy and Sheila Oliver — both endorsed by Moms Demand Action and the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund — won their respective races for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Moms Demand Action volunteers tirelessly canvassed and called to educate friends, family and community members about these candidates’ positions on guns and the high stakes of this election. And in Washington, local Moms Demand Action volunteers helped flip the balance of power in Olympia by backing gun sense candidate Manka Dhingra in District 45.

In several states, Moms Demand Action volunteers went even further, running for office themselves — and winning. In Connecticut, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania, ten of our volunteers were elected to office. This is just the tip of the iceberg. These volunteers-turned-elected officials are part of a growing movement of Americans for whom gun safety is a core issue — who knock on doors for candidates, show up to vote, and even run for office to protect their families and communities from gun violence.

And while there’s much to celebrate this election cycle, there’s also still a lot of work to be done. White women: We have to do better. Northam won big, but it wasn’t because of us. While black women went 91 percent for Northam, white women went 51 percent for the NRA’s candidate, Ed Gillespie. It is on us to keep talking to our neighbors, friends and families about the importance of electing leaders who will work to protect our children, families and communities from gun violence.

If we keep up the hustle, we can continue our winning streak. It’s clear that the momentum is on the side of the gun violence prevention movement. Americans know what our leaders in Congress refuse to accept: stronger gun laws make our communities safer.

Americans showed elected officials on Tuesday that we will not settle for leaders who sacrifice our safety to appease the gun lobby, a paper tiger that for too long has held sway over our Congress and statehouses. Congress must get on the right side of history fast, or face consequences at the ballot box. Their constituents might vote them out — or even run to replace them. More than 400 volunteers with Moms Demand Action say they’re interested in running for office in 2018. Expect us.