From The Huffington Post:
After backing Republican Sen. Susan Collins in 2014, the political arm of the major gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety announced on Tuesday that it’s endorsing one of her Democratic challengers in this year’s Maine Senate race.
Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, one of at least three Democratic candidates in the primary race, earned the endorsement for being a strong proponent of universal background checks and red flag legislation, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund said in a statement.
“A vote for Sara Gideon is a vote against Mitch McConnell, who has made the Senate the place where desperately needed gun safety bills go to die,” John Feinblatt, the president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a statement. He praised Gideon for having “walked the walk” on tightening Maine’s gun laws while serving in the legislature.
The group’s shift in support marks the latest hurdle for Collins. The four-term senator is facing her toughest reelection campaign yet, following backlash over her votes confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018 and acquitting President Donald Trump during his impeachment trial earlier this year.
Winning Collins’ seat in November is key for Democrats winning control of the Senate.
Here’s the full statement from Everytown for Gun Safety’s endorsement of Gideon:
Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund endorsed Maine Speaker of the House Sara Gideon for U.S. Senate in Maine, lauding her commitment to gun safety. Earlier this year, Gideon received the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction, a prerequisite for being considered for endorsement.
Maine Speaker of the House Sara Gideon has been a strong advocate for background checks on all gun sales and strong red flag legislation. In the wake of the Parkland shooting, she introduced red flag legislation and legislation to prohibit bump stocks in Maine.
“A vote for Sara Gideon is a vote against Mitch McConnell, who has made the Senate the place where desperately needed gun safety bills go to die,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Everytown is proud to support Sara Gideon, who has walked the walk on gun safety as Maine’s House Speaker.”
“So long as Mitch McConnell controls the Senate, common-sense gun safety bills will just collect dust on his desk,” said Emily Bates, volunteer with the Maine chapter of Moms Demand Action. “It’s time for fundamental change in the U.S. Senate, and that’s what we’ll get when we elect Sara Gideon, a champion for gun safety.”
Polling released last month demonstrates the surging intensity of Americans’ support for common-sense gun safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic, with a significant majority of Americans viewing background checks on all gun sales and disarming domestic abusers “more important” now than before the pandemic began.
Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Victory Fund plan to spend at least $60 million on the 2020 elections — double what they spent during the 2018 elections, and more than any gun safety opponent, including the NRA, reported spending on the 2016 elections.
Let’s keep up the momentum and finally get rid of Collins. Click here to donate and get involved with Gideon’s campaign.