New Jersey is leading the nation on gun safety

That’s why we must reelect Governor Phil Murphy.

When I was shot at a Safeway in Tucson in 2011, my life changed forever. I spent months fighting to regain basic functions, and to this day, I still struggle with ordinary tasks. Words may not come easily for me anymore, but I have not lost my voice.

I know firsthand the devastation that gun violence can have on families and loved ones — six people died that day in Tucson, including one of my staffers. Too many Americans, too many families, have stories like these, and it doesn’t have to be this way. That’s why I’ve dedicated my life to fighting to implement commonsense gun safety measures to make our communities, and our nation, safer.

I always knew this wouldn’t be an easy fight, but if my recovery has taught me anything, it’s to keep moving forward even when it feels impossible.

That’s why it’s critical that we reelect my friend, Governor Phil Murphy, in New Jersey. Since his first day in office, Governor Murphy has made commonsense gun safety legislation a top priority. If reelected, he will continue the fight to end this gun violence epidemic.

I’ve known Phil Murphy for years. From day one, he talked about how to make communities across the Garden State safer by tackling gun violence. That’s why back in 2017, I did all I could to get him elected governor. Decades of Republican leadership had left New Jerseyans vulnerable, and Phil wanted to change that.

Since being sworn into office in 2018, Phil has taken tremendous steps to combat gun violence and make New Jersey safer. He’s strengthened background checks and limited large-capacity magazines, saving countless lives. He established extreme risk laws, also known as “red flag” laws, to temporarily remove guns from people who demonstrate risks to themselves or others. He’s cracked down on illegal guns coming into New Jersey from other states.

Phil doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk, and he’s proven that over his first term.

Phil also knows that it’s not enough to enact legislation and hope for the best — in order to effect real change, you have to support the communities hardest hit. He’s dedicated funding to support hospital and community-based intervention programs, to reduce gun violence in the communities most impacted by gun violence every day. He launched the Center on Gun Violence Research at Rutgers University — one of the first in the nation — to study the causes and patterns of gun violence, and to better inform policy decisions.

Phil Murphy isn’t afraid to stand up to the gun lobby, either. He’s held the gun industry accountable again and again. His administration has combated dangerous “ghost guns” that threaten New Jersey communities and investigated whether gun advertising misleads New Jersey consumers.

When it comes to preventing gun violence, New Jersey leads the nation. Just last year, the researchers at Giffords Law Center gave New Jersey’s gun laws an A rating because of the strong laws and robust programs that have successfully reduced gun violence.

We are at a crossroads. We continue to see shooting after shooting in this country, and it’s long past time for action. Phil and I both know that tackling the gun violence epidemic is a constant struggle, but neither of us are shying away.

That’s why I’m proud to endorse my friend, Governor Phil Murphy, for reelection as New Jersey’s Governor — the first time in decades we could reelect a Democrat as Governor of New Jersey! He knows what’s at stake, and that New Jersey can’t afford to go back to the way things were before.

This is so important for New Jersey and for our country, and we cannot do it alone. So join us in this fight — vote vote vote!