Guns are the leading cause of death for youth. Trump wants to keep it that way. We endorsed Harris and candidates in AZ, MI, NY, and FL to change that. Chip in to the movement that's saving lives.
For the first time ever, March For Our Lives is making endorsements up and down the ballot to help put gun safety champions in office. A lot goes into our endorsements, but top of the list? An ironclad commitment to put gun safety at the top of their agenda—all day, every day. Our first endorsement went to Kamala Harris for President, but we’re excited to help boost several other candidates for US Senate and Congress, in key races that are absolutely must wins in order to pass comprehensive gun safety laws next year. We’re excited to support candidates in Arizona, Michigan, Florida, and New York—states and races where the youth vote is expected to have the greatest impact on the margin of victory. Check out if your candidate has earned our endorsement below, and check back in as we continue to roll out more endorsements!
Harris-Walz for president
Our first-ever endorsement goes to tried-and-true gun safety champions, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. As one of the largest youth-led movements in the nation, we are clear-eyed about the challenge ahead and we believe that they are uniquely suited to meet this moment. Throughout her time in DC, first as a Senator and then as Vice President, she has been a forceful champion for gun safety and for young people. At the 2020 Presidential Gun Safety Forum we hosted with our friends at Giffords, Vice President Harris outlined a bold plan to tackle gun violence from every angle—demanding action from Congress and using the power of the presidency to fight for our lives. Since becoming Vice President, she has met regularly with advocates and survivors of gun violence, and we’ve had the pleasure of working with her as she’s led the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Importantly, Vice President Harris has put gun violence survivors at the center of policymaking, demonstrating her commitment to empowering those most impacted by the issue to implement the right solutions.
Tim Walz first came to our attention when he denounced the NRA as a member of congress, returning their campaign donations and taking votes and positions that flipped his NRA rating from an A to a beautiful, bright red F. As governor of Minnesota, he’s championed commonsense gun laws and brought dedicated funding to evidence-based violence prevention programs that stop gun violence loooong before someone picks up a gun. We’re ecstatic that Vice President Harris picked him as a running mate, and we’re hitting the ground running to put both of them in the White House. Join us!
Arizona Endorsements
March For Our Lives is proud to endorse Ruben Gallego for Senate! Currently representing Arizona’s third congressional district, Ruben Gallego is a proud son of immigrants who has been a steadfast advocate for gun violence prevention. From helping us pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and voting for background checks, safe storage legislation, and an assault weapon ban to supporting a code of ethics and term limits for the Supreme Court, Gallego understands what’s at stake and will fight for our lives and freedoms. In contrast, his opponent Kari Lake has been endorsed by the NRA and even made dangerous and suggestive comments when she told her supporters to arm themselves and “strap on a glock” ahead of the election. She is a dangerous fear monger who must be stopped.
This race was identified by CIRCLE as a top race where the youth vote can have a significant impact. This is our opportunity to elect a gun violence prevention champion who will fight for our lives in the Senate!
March For Our Lives is proud to endorse Kirsten Engel for AZ-06! Kirsten is a tireless advocate for our lives, and is taking on Rep. Juan Ciccimoni, an extreme far-right legislator who has been endorsed by the NRA, has fought against common-sense gun reform, and even sat on the board of an organization promoting firearms to children. We’re excited to flip this seat and put our political power behind Kirsten Engel, a former State Senator who has a proud history of fighting for gun safety and will support our priority bills.
March For Our Lives is proud to endorse Raul Grijalva or AZ-07! Representing Arizona’s seventh congressional district, Raul Grijalva has consistently championed legislation aimed at reducing gun violence and enhancing community safety. He has supported measures such as expanding background checks, implementing red flag laws, and promoting gun safety education and has signed onto a majority of our organization’s priority bills. Year after year, Rep. Grijalva is a proud progressive who has stood arm in arm with young people and defended the issues we hold dear in Congress.
March For Our Lives is pleased to endorse Elissa Slotkin for US Senate, to hold a must-win seat that will help clear the path for gun safety legislation in the Senate. Gun violence is a personal issue for Congresswoman Slotkin––she represented a district with two mass shootings, at Michigan State University and Oxford High School. During her time in Congress, she has fought for gun safety reforms and has committed to continuing that fight in the Senate. We know she will be a tireless champion for gun safety.
In contrast, Rep. Slotkin’s opponent, Mike Rogers, is endorsed and funded by the NRA. He has consistently opposed gun safety legislation and even after the most recent shooting in Georgia, he has refused to call for any type of reform. While in Congress, Rogers let the assault weapon ban expire and consistently voted with the gun lobby. CIRCLE identified this race as the #3 Senate race where the youth vote can have the most significant impact.
Former State Senator Curtis Hertel is a relentless advocate for gun violence prevention and the issue is deeply personal to him––his son was on campus during the Michigan State University shooting in 2023. Senator Hertel led Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s policy team in passing one of the most comprehensive gun safety packages in recent history and we know will work to implement similar measures in Congress. We’re proud to endorse Curtis Hertel.
Meanwhile, his opponent Tom Barrett has highlighted his membership in the NRA and consistently voted in favor of their agenda in the state House and Senate, even earning a 100% rating in 2022. He’s also accepted money from the NRA and co-sponsored legislation to allow permitless carry and exempt Michigan from following federal gun laws.
Representing Michigan’s 12th congressional district, Rashida Tlaib has consistently backed universal background checks, extreme risk protection orders, a ban on assault weapons, and has championed community-based violence intervention programs, and emphasized the need to address the root causes of gun violence. She is a proven and tested leader on gun safety, and we’re pleased to endorse her. Meanwhile, her opponent James Hooper has largely stayed silent on addressing gun violence directly. The only public stance he’s taken on the issue is his declaration as a “strong proponent of the un-infringeable nature of the Second Amendment.” Beyond this, Hooper has not offered any concrete policy proposals or measures to address the gun violence epidemic, focusing instead on defending gun ownership rights as a protection against tyranny.
Former Congressman Mondaire Jones is a fierce champion of gun safety and a staunch defender of young people. We are pleased to support him in his must-win race in NY-17 and are especially excited by his bold stances on key issues that are important to young people. His staunch support of key pieces of legislation like universal background checks, safe storage requirements, an assault weapons ban, and repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to hold the gun industry accountable for its role in fueling the gun violence epidemic, make clear that Jones is on the side of the people—not in the pocket of the NRA. We are particularly excited about this race, as Jones has committed to creating a youth advisory board to ensure his work in Congress reflects the needs of young people in his district.
Meanwhile, it couldn’t be clearer where his opponent Michael Lawler stands. He is an NRA-backed politician who is far more interested in the gun lobby’s blood money than in his constituents’ safety. In his short time in office, he has time and again opposed common-sense gun safety legislation. Even after the recent shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia in which an assault weapon was used to kill two students and two teachers, Lawler still does not support an assault weapons ban. The choice couldn’t be clearer, and we’re excited to fight to put Mondaire Jones in Congress.
Representing New York’s 14th Congressional District, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a champion of progressive politics, and has utterly shifted the narrative on what is possible in DC. Coming into Congress as one of the youngest people in the chamber, she is a tireless fighter for the issues that matter most to our generation, including a bold champion for gun safety. Following the 2022 shootings in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, TX, she helped lead the effort to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first federal gun safety package signed into law in about 30 years. Since then, AOC has continued to advocate for essential gun violence prevention legislation like expanded background checks and an assault weapons ban and helped shift the narrative on public safety through her vocal support of bills like the People’s Response Act. We have a bold champion for young people in the United States Congress in AOC, and we’re excited to fight alongside her in this election and beyond.
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke is a staunch gun safety advocate with a track record of championing legislation that addresses the root causes of gun violence. Throughout her time in Congress, she has signed onto several gun violence prevention bills, including the People’s Response Act and the Counseling Not Criminalization Act, two bills that would transform the way we approach public safety and gun violence. Day in and day out, young people know that we can rely on her to fight for the issues that matter most to us, and we’re eager to continue to support her run and return another gun safety champion to office.
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, whose father was tragically shot and killed, is a fierce advocate for gun violence prevention. She served as the vice chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, introduced legislation to encourage firearms dealers to adopt responsible business practices, prioritized funding for community violence intervention programs, and fought for background checks, safe storage, and banning assault weapons. Since leaving Congress, she’s worked at GIFFORDS as a senior adviser, fighting against gun violence and prioritizing our lives.
In contrast, Senator Rick Scott has continuously put the gun lobby over our safety. Even though, as governor, he bucked the gun lobby to support the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act, he has since fallen in line to vehemently oppose common-sense legislation like assault weapons bans and universal background checks. He even went so far as to vote against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation that had broad support across both sides of the aisle that was passed following the tragic shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo. Sen. Scott has morphed into an extremist bar none, and he must be defeated.
Maxwell Frost, who just so happens to be March For Our Lives’ former Organizing Director, made history as the first member of Generation Z and the first Afro-Cuban elected to Congress at just 25 years old. His journey as an activist began at 15, following the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, igniting his lifelong fight against gun violence. This commitment deepened after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016 and his own experience surviving a gun violence incident in downtown Orlando. In his time with March For Our Lives, Frost was a national leader for youth organizing and gun safety prevention, taking the fight from our schools and neighborhoods straight to the halls of power—even sitting in at state capitols to get our message across that our lives are not disposable. In Congress, the first bill he introduced was to create the Office of Gun Violence Prevention at the White House, something he had fought for with youth activists at MFOL, and in September 2023, he stood alongside President Biden, along with MFOL activists, as the President announced the creation of the office. He is a true activist-leader, and we’re proud to support his candidacy for Congress.
Whitney Fox is a fierce advocate who is committed to fighting against gun violence and prioritizing young people’s lives. We’ve been awed by her determination to champion lifesaving bills like universal background checks, safe storage laws, extreme risk protection orders, and closing dangerous background loopholes. Fox also understands the importance of breaking cycles of violence and we’re pleased to see her push for increased funding for community violence intervention programs in schools and communities.
Meanwhile, her opponent, Congresswoman Luna, is an NRA-backed candidate who has continued to oppose any type of gun safety legislation. Instead of working to reduce violence and pass common-sense reforms, she has stood firmly with the gun lobby—even proudly wearing pins depicting an AR-15. This callous disregard for human life in the face of tragedy, and her prioritization of lobbyist interests over the lives of our children, underscores the critical importance of this race.
Since our founding, we’ve helped drive youth turnout to record highs again and again, and the 2024 election will be no exception—and we’re certain that by winning our endorsement, these candidates are putting themselves in the best possible position to win the youth vote. Gun violence has consistently been a driving issue for young voters, and this year it ranks among the top three issues for young people across the nation.
Join Us to Get Out The Vote
Youth have the potential to shape the 2024 election, so we need your help to get young people to the ballot box.