Everytown for Gun Safety Announces Endorsements of Moms Demand Action Volunteers Running for Office in Illinois

NEW YORK - Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund announced the endorsements of Moms Demand Action volunteers running for office across Illinois, from the state legislature to county boards and local school councils. This follows last week's endorsements of volunteers running for office in North Carolina and Texas and underscores the growing political power of Moms Demand Action volunteers as they go from advocate to candidate to elected leader.

"Illinois is a national model for what's possible when gun sense champions win office, and these Moms Demand Action volunteers are ready to carry that legacy forward," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. "These volunteers have spent years walking the walk on gun safety, and we're proud to support them as they make the leap from advocating for laws to writing them."

"After spending years showing up for their communities and ensuring Illinois has some of the strongest gun safety laws in the nation, these Moms Demand Action volunteers are taking the next step by running for office themselves," said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. "Our movement has never been stronger, and these candidates are exactly why - we're turning grassroots power into electoral power, building a bench of gun sense champions up and down the ballot."

The Illinois Moms Demand Action volunteers receiving Everytown's endorsement today:

• Suzanne Glowiak Hilton, State Senator, District 23
• Nabeela Syed, State Senator, District 26
• Carina Santa Maria, State Senator, District 27
• Julie Morrison, State Senator, District 29
• Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, State Representative, District 17
• Cleopatra Cowley, State Representative, District 34
• Marti Deuter, State Representative, District 45
• Maura Hirschauer, State Representative, District 49
• Nicolle Grasse, State Representative, District 53
• Mary Beth Canty, State Representative, District 54
• Tracy Katz Muhl, State Representative, District 57
• Bob Morgan, State Representative, District 58
• Daniel Didech, State Representative, District 59
• Joyce Mason, State Representative, District 61
• Laura Faver Dias, State Representative, District 62
• Peter Janko, State Representative, District 69
• Anne Stava, State Representative, District 81
• Yeena Yoo, DuPage County Treasurer
• Kate Monteleone, Kane County Board, District 15
• Deanna Darling, McHenry County Board, District 1
• Mary Rada Walters, DuPage County Board, District 2
• Valerie Simutis, Chicago Public Schools Local School Council Member

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.