NEW VA ADS, POLLING, ENDORSEMENTS: Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund Announces $400K Effort in State Legislative Battleground Districts, New Round of Endorsements and Polling

New Ads Launching As Part of Seven-Figure Effort to Elect Gun Sense Champions in VA

New Polling Shows Crime & Public Safety a Top 3 Issue for VA Voters

RICHMOND - Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund announced a $400,000 investment to protect and expand the gun sense majority in the Virginia General Assembly. The ads will focus on highlighting MAGA extremist opposition to common-sense gun safety laws and will run across digital and streaming platforms in targeted battleground districts.

As a part of today's announcement, Everytown released a new poll in Virginia showing the power of gun safety for voters. A full memo is available here. Key findings show that crime and public safety is a top issue for Virginia voters - ahead of health care, jobs and the economy, and immigration. 79% of Virginia voters say a candidate's position on guns is highly important to their vote and Virginians support prioritizing gun safety over gun rights by a more than 2 to 1 margin.

"Time and again, gun safety has been a winning issue in Virginia's battleground districts, where voters are looking for leaders who will make public safety a top priority," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. "Everytown's investment will help stop MAGA extremists from rolling back the life-saving progress Virginia has made on gun safety."

WATCH "HAPPENED" HERE

WATCH "SOME PEOPLE" HERE

As part of this effort, Everytown is also announcing endorsements for candidates in key battleground General Assembly districts:

• Del. Josh Thomas (HD-21)
• John McAuliff (HD-30)
• Lily Franklin (HD-41)
• May Nivar (HD-57)
• Stacey Carroll (HD-64)
• Nicole Cole (HD-66)
• Leslie Mehta (HD-73)
• Kimberly Pope Adams (HD-82)
• Del. Nadarius Clark (HD-84)
• Virgil Thornton (HD-86)
• Kacey Carnegie (HD-89)
• Del. Michael Feggans (HD-97)

In May, Everytown endorsed fourteen Virginia Moms Demand Action volunteers running for General Assembly and local offices. Going into the election, Moms Demand Action volunteers currently make up nearly 20% of the Virginia House Democratic caucus.

Everytown for Gun Safety has made Virginia a proving ground for the gun safety movement, outspending the NRA over the last several election cycles to build strong, durable gun sense majorities. In 2023, Everytown and the Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund spent seven figures to help gun sense candidates flip the House of Delegates, defend the Senate, and elect our Moms Demand Action volunteers-turned-candidates up and down the ballot. Our messaging framed weak gun laws and MAGA extremism as direct threats to community safety, successfully flipping the script on misleading crime attacks and winning battleground voters who named crime as a top concern.

AD TRANSCRIPT: "HAPPENED"

It happened in Virginia…

NEWS CLIP: "Breaking news out of Newport News Virginia …

A terrifying shooting inside an elementary school."

A six-year-old boy used his mom's gun to shoot his teacher.

NEWS CLIP: "A student… six years old was taken into custody."

But Chad Green would make it easier for kids to get guns.

He voted against safe storage laws that keep guns away from children.

…even as young as six.

"You can't trust Chad Green to keep your family safe."

AD TRANSCRIPT: "SOME PEOPLE"

Some people should never have access to a gun:

Violent offenders…

Domestic abusers…

Children…

But if Ian Lovejoy gets his way…all of them will be able to get them.

Lovejoy voted to let violent criminals and abusers have guns…

Opposed background checks on gun sales…

And was against a law to keep guns away from kids.

No wonder the gun lobby supports him.

Ian Lovejoy. He's dangerously wrong for Virginia.

Paid for by Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund. Not authorized by a candidate.