John—
I talk a lot about the power of incremental change. We've made significant progress over the past 10 years, but that progress is not always linear—winning doesn't happen in one fell swoop; it's the result of years of strategic electoral work and the unglamorous, heavy lifting of grassroots activism.
This summer, we helped pass the most important federal gun safety legislation in a generation, and then Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers turned around and campaigned for Gun Sense Candidates across the country, reaching out to more than 6 million voters through thousands of events. More than 270 of our volunteers ran for office themselves, and for the first time, we awarded more than 5,000 Gun Sense Candidate distinctions.
Results are still coming in, but so far, one thing is clear: You helped elect dozens of our own volunteers all across the country, flipped governorships and state legislatures, and re-elected strong gun sense champions up and down the ticket. We set out to elect more survivors and women to office this cycle, and we have.
This movement is a marathon, not a sprint—and our fight isn't just about Election Night.
The fact of the matter is, you kept gun safety top of mind for voters this election cycle—reminding them lives are at stake. The connection between gun safety and public safety is real, and we showed how crucial it is that candidates aggressively make the case that weak gun laws lead to increases in crime.
Over the past few months, I traveled to 15 states where I saw your strength, determination and resilience firsthand. It was incredibly inspiring to see the record number of you who decided to take your advocacy to the next level and run for office yourselves. I am so hopeful because Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers are building—and in many cases becoming—the next generation of Gun Sense Candidates.
And I wasn't the only one to notice that #MomsAreEverywhere. From Aurora to Kansas City, Las Vegas to Philadelphia, candidates told me how you powered their campaigns and drove the conversation around gun safety. You made our red shirts iconic on the campaign trail and phonebanked, organized and got out the vote for candidates at every level of government.
I'll have more to share about our victories and next steps in the coming days. In the meantime, thank you for everything you do as a member of this movement. I know that our movement will continue to make progress. Over the last decade, we've proven that our movement is so much bigger than any one election cycle. And I know that even in races where we didn't win, we moved the needle—forcing critical conversations about safety, exposing extremists for who they are, and reminding voters that lives are on the line.
The kind of seismic change our country needs cannot be achieved in one election cycle, but everything we're doing helps erode the gun industry's power.
We're working toward a future when every family can live without the fear of gun violence. Together, we'll keep fighting—and we'll win.
Thank you for all you do to save lives. I'm proud to be in this fight with you.
Shannon Watts
She/Her/Hers
Founder
Moms Demand Action
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