Illinois Candidates Supporting Gun Control, Including Gov. Quinn, Successful at Polls
Nov 4, 2010
Washington, DC – Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, endorsed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, came from behind in the polls to defeat State Senator Bill Brady, who was endorsed by the National Rifle Association. The gun issue resonated in local races as well: 14 out of 16 candidates in state legislative races who were endorsed by the Brady PAC - Illinois won their races.
Quinn campaigned aggressively for common sense gun laws, and repeatedly highlighted Sen. Brady’s extreme position on guns, including his opposition to restricting assault weapons and his opposition to legislation restricting guns near schools.
The Brady PAC – Illinois targeted Sen. Brady with 165,000 “robo calls” from gun violence victims, including Sarah Brady, to likely women voters. Gov. Quinn’s campaign produced a television ad criticizing Sen. Brady’s opposition to banning assault weapons.
“The results in the race for Governor show that many Illinois voters care strongly about a candidate’s position on common sense gun laws,” said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “In this case, Sen. Brady’s gamble on gun lobby extremism did not pay off.”
Both Jim and Sarah Brady weighed in the Governor’s race, throwing their support behind Gov. Pat Quinn. Jim Brady issued a statement criticizing Sen. Brady’s positions on guns, and Sarah Brady recorded phone messages urging support for Quinn. Paul Helmke did an endorsement news conference with Gov. Quinn in Chicago in early August.
The Brady PAC - Illinois also had a very successful night statewide as 11 out of 12 endorsed incumbents in the state legislature won re-election. In addition, 3 new supporters of sensible gun laws were elected.
In head-to-head matchups with National Rifle Association, candidates endorsed by the Brady PAC – Illinois beat all four NRA-endorsed candidates. Incumbents Keith Farnham in the 43rd House District, Fred Crespo in the 44th House District and Carol Sente in the 59th House District defeated NRA challengers, while newcomer Michelle Mussman beat NRA-endorsed Ryan Higgins for the open seat in House District 56.
“Support from the Brady PAC – Illinois helped to protect incumbents who support sensible guns laws while electing new champions to the state legislature,” said former State Senator Carol Ronen, spokesperson for the Brady PAC – Illinois. “Each time the NRA tried to take one of our house districts, we beat them.”
Members of Congress endorsed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence easily won their races while Rep. Mark Kirk won his race to become U.S. Senator from Illinois.
“Senator-Elect Mark Kirk is a strong supporter of sensible gun laws, and the Brady Campaign looks forward to having him as a strong Republican voice for reasonable gun restrictions in the U.S. Senate,” Helmke said.
To see the Brady Campaign’s and Brady PAC-Illinois endorsements and victories in Illinois, go to the Brady Voter web guide at bradyvoter.org.
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The Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, is the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence. The Brady Campaign works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations and public policies to create an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is a national non-profit organization working to reduce the tragic toll of gun violence through education, research, and legal advocacy.
Dan Gross is the President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center. A photo and more information about Dan Gross is available here.
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