Gun violence prevention a defining contrast in Oregon Governor’s race
[Portland, OR] – Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund announced its endorsement of Tina Kotek in the race for Oregon Governor. Everytown for Gun Safety, along with its grassroots networks, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, is the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with nearly ten million supporters.
While a majority of Oregonians support common sense gun reform, Tina is facing two conservative opponents who have opposed gun safety bills and earned A ratings from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Betsy Johnson racked up a long record of opposition to common-sense gun violence prevention policies in her 20+ years in the state legislature. Senator Johnson voted against:
- Banning guns on school grounds (her opposition contributed to the legislature’s inability to pass the bill in 2012);
- Allowing family members or law enforcement to prevent someone from accessing a gun if they are at risk of hurting themselves or others (also known as a “red flag” law).
- Requiring background checks for private gun sales;
- Prohibiting individuals from possessing a firearm when they have been convicted of domestic abuse or stalking; and
- Requiring firearms be stored safely and securely.
Even after horrific mass shootings, Betsy Johnson has doubled down on her opposition to gun violence prevention reforms. As the Willamette Week reported,
“Four days after 19 children and two teachers died in a Texas school shooting, a Portland crowd pushed independent gubernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson to defend her long voting record on guns. She obliged: ‘The style of the gun does not dictate the lethality,’ she said—and was met with boos….
“It’s not the first time Johnson, a former Democrat, has publicly defended gun rights, even after a mass shooting. She talked about her NRA membership and her submachine gun to a group of teens in the month after the Sandy Hook and Clackamas Town Center shootings, The Daily Astorian reported in January 2013.”
And as The Associated Press reported, “she sees even attempts to ban bump-stocks and high-capacity ammunition magazines as chipping away at Second Amendment rights on gun ownership.” Perhaps that’s because Johnson herself is “among the state’s most elite firearms enthusiasts: machine gun owners.”
Republican candidate Christine Drazan’s record on gun violence prevention is just as bad. As a state representative, Drazan voted against common-sense legislation requiring gun owners to safely store their guns, a policy that is proven to prevent unintentional gun deaths, especially among children. Drazan’s fierce opposition to gun violence prevention policies earned her an “A” rating from the NRA, something that she has been proud to boast while on the campaign trail.
“Tina is proud to be the only candidate for Governor to receive an endorsement from Everytown for Gun Safety and an F rating from the NRA,” said Katie Wertheimer, Kotek’s communications director. “While Betsy Johnson and Christine Drazan were blocking common-sense gun violence prevention legislation in Salem, Tina was leading the way to get it done.”
Tina has also earned support from Giffords PAC and Brandon Wolf, a native Oregonian and survivor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting.
To see more of Tina’s endorsements, please visit: www.tinafororegon.com/endorsements