Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund Endorses Third Round of Moms Demand Action Volunteers Running for Office Across Five States

NEW YORK - Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund announced endorsements of Moms Demand Action volunteers running for office in Arkansas, Illinois, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. The third round of endorsements ahead of the 2026 midterms, today's announcement includes candidates running for lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state legislature, and school board, among other local offices.

"From state attorney general to the school board, Moms Demand Action volunteers are running for office at every level of government where gun policy is written - and where gun sense has too often been missing," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. "While the gun lobby focuses on Washington, our movement is building power from the ground up, putting battle-tested advocates in the seats where decisions about community safety get made."

"Every one of these candidates started as a volunteer who showed up, knocked doors, and fought for their neighbors' safety. That's exactly the kind of leader our communities need in office," said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. "Across the country and at every level of government, Moms Demand Action volunteers are turning years of advocacy into electoral wins, and we'll be with them every step of the way."

• Arkansas
  • Denise Garner, State Senator, District 30
  • Nicole Clowney, State Representative, District 21
  • Tippi McCullough, State Representative, District 74
  • Denise Ennett, State Representative, District 80

• Illinois
  • Patrick Hanley, State Senator, District 9
  • Laura Ellman, State Senator, District 21
  • Margaret DeLaRosa, State Representative, District 21
  • Jennifer Lokshin, Champaign County Board, District 4
  • Melissa Villanueva, DuPage County Board, District 1
  • Miguel Valente, Sangamon County Board, District 18

• North Carolina
  • Pat LeGrand, State Senator, District 10
  • Tim Merrick, State Representative, District 20
  • Dan Besse, Forsyth County Commission, At Large
  • Mona Singh, Wake County Commission, At Large
  • Susanne Duncan, Brunswick County School Board, District 3
  • Mary Ellen Kustin, Henderson County Board of Education
  • Ronda Mays, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board, At Large

• Texas
  • Vikki Goodwin, Lieutenant Governor
  • Nathan Johnson, State Attorney General
  • Shannon Dicely, State Senator, District 11
  • Elizabeth Markowitz, State Representative, District 26
  • Abbie Kamin, Harris County Attorney

• Virginia
  • Sandy Marks, Alexandria City Council

In 2021, Everytown Victory Fund launched the Demand a Seat educational program to train grassroots volunteers and gun violence survivors to take the next step in their advocacy efforts by running for office and working on campaigns. Since then, the program has trained more than 1,200 volunteers across 47 states and Washington, D.C. During the 2025 election cycle, 163 former Moms Demand Action volunteers were up for election, and 67% won in 23 states. They join the ranks of the more than 600 volunteers from 42 states who have run and won since the Demand a Seat program was launched. All told, 14 states now have five or more former volunteers serving in the legislature.

The previous rounds of 2026 endorsements can be found here and here.