The political arm of Everytown for Gun Safety plans to spend $9 million to boost Democratic candidates. state legislative contests In five provinces, the group’s first investment in such races this election cycle.
The investment, first reported by NBC News, will be focused primarily on digital and television ads in state House and Senate races in Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. In each of those states, partisan control of at least one legislative chamber is up for grabs in November, while the fate of a number of hot-button issues, including gun safety, is up for debate.
The ad is part of Everytown’s $45 million in broader spending plans up and down the ballot.
“Much of the national progress we’ve made on gun safety can be traced to pioneering laws passed at the state level,” John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a statement.
“Over the last few election cycles, Everytown has developed a winning playbook to elect gun-sensitivity champions in key state legislative seats to replace cameras and pass life-saving laws,” he said. “Until Election Day, we’ll do everything we can to make sure voters know which candidates will prioritize keeping their schools and communities safe from gun violence, and which candidates put them at risk by blocking.”
Everytown is running in Arizona, where Republicans hold slim majorities in the House and Senate announcement against Republican Pamela Carter is running in a four-way race in suburban Phoenix.
The group started in Michigan, where Democrats hold narrow majorities in both legislative chambers. announcement against Republican candidate Ron Robinson is running against Democrat Nate Shannon in a Detroit-area district race.
And so is the group in Minnesota, where Democrats hold the state house advertises He supports Democrat Julie Greene, who is seeking the Minneapolis-area seat against Republican Owen Michaelson.
Everytown’s campaign is the latest by outside groups seeking to help Democrats flip or retain control of legislative chambers in key battleground states.
The States Project, a Democratic-aligned group, plans to spend $70 million for state legislative races in nine states this cycle, while Forward Majority, a Democratic super PAC, plans to spend $45 million. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee targets spending 60 million dollars and in such competitions Democratic National Committee and American Civil Liberties Union they also put money in these competitions.