Everytown Will Hire and Deploy 30 New Organizers in Arizona, California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to Reach 10 Million Voters and Get Out the Vote for Gun Sense Candidates at All Levels of the Ballot
MEDIA CONTACTpress@everytown.org
NEW YORK — Today, following last week’s endorsement of Vice President Harris, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Victory Fund announced a $45 million electoral program and the launch of a new grassroots voter contact program to help elect gun sense candidates and defeat gun extremists up and down the ballot in key swing districts and states. Through television and ads on digital platforms, the paid media campaign will focus on the threat the MAGA gun extremist agenda poses to the safety of our communities and highlight their opposition to common-sense gun safety laws. Everytown’s efforts will focus on young voters on college campuses, voters of color, and suburban women in Arizona, California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
“With MAGA Republicans pushing an extreme ‘guns everywhere’ agenda, this election is a life-or-death moment—so Everytown is going all-out to mobilize the majority of Americans who want to live free from the fear of gun violence,” said John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety. “From sending Vice President Harris to the Oval Office to helping our own volunteers win office, we’ll elect gun sense champions up and down the ballot.”
As part of the electoral program, Everytown will hire and deploy 30 field organizers over the next four months across the eight states. With a goal of 10 million voter contacts nationally, the organizing efforts will center on college campuses and in communities with historically lower rates of voter turnout in battleground states. Additionally, Everytown will open field offices in Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania to support overall efforts.
College campus recruitment efforts will include:
- Arizona: Arizona State University, University of Arizona
- California: University of California, Irvine
- Michigan: Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and University of Michigan
- Minnesota: University of Minnesota
- North Carolina: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State University, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University, and North Carolina A&T
- New York: Vassar College, Marist College, Syracuse University, Hamilton College, Utica University, Colgate University, Hofstra University, Adelphi University, and Nassau Community College
- Pennsylvania: Drexel University, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Pennsylvania
- Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, UW Madison, and Marquette University
In the 2020 election, Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund spent nearly $8 million in TV and digital ads to support President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and defeat Donald Trump. Everytown Victory Fund’s TV and digital ads highlighted President Trump’s opposition to bipartisan gun safety legislation and his failure to keep Americans safe from gun violence and COVID-19. Everytown Victory Fund also ran ads in both English and Spanish contrasting President Biden and Trump’s records and visions for America’s future. Everytown helped elect gun sense champions Mark Kelly, Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff and John Hickenlooper to the U.S. Senate, secured a gun sense majority in the House, and supported a record number of Moms Demand Action volunteers turned candidates.
In 2021, Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund launched “Demand a Seat,” a 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. More than 250 have won seats in 37 states – from town council and school board to U.S. Congress. In 2023, 162 volunteers ran for office and 96 won their races. Nationwide this cycle, more than 500 volunteers are running for office. In 2024, 89 percent have advanced from primaries to the general in 41 states. More information on Demand a Seat can be found here.
