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Hi Friend,
On May 31st, a mass shooting in Virginia Beach took 12 lives. One week later, polling showed that a majority of Virginians support tighter gun control measures, including bans on military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines.* But the Virginia GOP’s response to the tragedy was much different: last Tuesday, in a special session on gun violence prevention, the GOP-led General Assembly adjourned after 90 minutes—without taking up a single piece of legislation.
Virginia needs lawmakers who will stand up for the people and prevent gun violence. We’ve already seen how flipping control of a state’s legislature can lead to better, popular gun control measures—just look at Colorado. After the state flipped blue in November, Colorado legislators successfully passed red flag laws, which allow the temporary removal of firearms from individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others.
Flipping the General Assembly—and, as a result, securing a Democratic trifecta—is the way to move Virginia from inaction to action on gun safety. Meet three of the Flippable candidates ready to bring life-saving solutions to Virginia:
Flippable candidate Larry Barnett (left) stands with Moms Demand Action volunteers on the day of the Virginia General Assembly’s special session on gun violence prevention.
- Larry Barnett: As a mental health professional, Larry views gun violence as one of our country’s top public health crises. Through his commitment to a host of sensible policies—including monthly purchase limits and child access prevention—Larry has earned the endorsement of Moms Demand Action in his Richmond-area race for House District 27.
- Alex Askew: Alex was born and raised in Virginia Beach, where his mother worked as a public school teacher. Now, he’s running to represent Virginia Beach’s House District 85 by fighting for safer schools and communities, and he knows that implementing comprehensive background checks is an essential first step.
- Missy Cotter Smasal: A former Navy officer, Missy supports closing the gun show loophole, passing red flag laws, and banning assault weapons in Virginia in order to prevent senseless tragedies. Missy’s strong stance on gun control policies has earned her the endorsement of Giffords PAC in her race for Virginia Beach’s Senate District 8.
All of our Virginia candidates are ready to take overdue action on gun violence prevention—let’s give them the opportunity to do it. By donating to the Flippable Fund today, you can help Larry, Alex, Missy, and the rest of our Virginia candidates run strong campaigns. Together, we can help flip the entire General Assembly blue and bring Virginians closer to getting the gun safety policies they deserve.
*Per a public opinion poll conducted by Public Policy Polling between June 7-9, 2019. 
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