FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Saturday, October 10, 2020
CONTACT: Linda Finn, Executive Director
(401) 258-6851 ~ linda@ricagv.org
89 CANDIDATES ENDORSED BY RICAGV IN 2020 GENERAL ELECTION
Providence, Rhode Island (October 10, 2020) — The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) has endorsed a total of 89 candidates in the upcoming election: 40 candidates in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and 23 in the Senate, 23 in Town Council and School Committee races, as well as U.S. Senator Jack Reed, and Congressmen David Cicilline and James Langevin.
RICAGV enjoyed significant primary victories in 2020, with 19 candidates who won against candidates who did not support our gun safety program. Only one NRA “A” rated candidate won their primary and he is being challenged with a robust write-in campaign by Tiana Ochoa of Pawtucket.
As we are seeing around the country, the message of candidates who support the NRA’s dangerous “guns everywhere” platform is wearing thin with voters. A March 2020 poll of Rhode Island voters found that nearly two-thirds of respondents follow gun safety issues and they consider a candidate’s stand on gun safety issues when they vote. There is majority support in Rhode Island for a number of our proposals including:
- Banning large-capacity magazines – 71.5%
- Banning military-style assault weapons- 70.5%
- 88.3% indicated that they support licensing for handgun owner
- 77.2 % support registration of rifles and shotguns
Rhode Islanders support these policy initiatives, and with the alarming increase in gun sales across the country and here in Rhode Island during the COVID-19 crisis, our work is more urgent than ever.