Scott Powers
Democratic candidate Susannah Randolph has picked up the endorsement of one of the nation’s oldest and most influential gun control groups, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, her campaign announced.
The Brady campaign, started by and named for Jim and Sarah Brady, the former President Ronald Reagan press secretary and his wife, has enjoyed bipartisan backing for much of its 35 year existence since Jim Brady was shot along with Reagan.
In this case, Randolph is pushing the endorsement as a badge of distinction with her three Democratic primary opponents, particularly state Sen. Darren Soto, in the wake of the June 12 Pulse nightclub shooting that has led nearly all Democrats to call for tighter laws for background checks, gun purchases and the availability of semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
“In the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting, a tragedy that hit so close to home, Susannah Randolph jumped into action. From the getgo, she got to work helping Brady and helping to build local support,” Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence stated in a news release issued by Randolph’s campaign.
“She is the leader this community deserves, one who will fight on Capitol Hill for the lifesaving policies, like expanded Brady background checks, that keep guns out of dangerous hands. In a day and age where so many politicians limit their response in the face of gun violence to a tweet, Susannah Randolph is an all too rare breed of public official. She has Central Florida’s back, and now we’ve got her’s,” Gross continued.
In addition to Soto, Randolph faces Dena Grayson and Valleri Crabtree in the Aug. 30 primary. The winner would face the Republican primary winner, either Wayne Liebnitzky or Wanda Rentas.
Randolph has specifically called for expanded background checks, reinstating the assault weapons ban, and ending the congressional ban on federally-funded gun violence research.
“It’s time to stand up to the Gun Lobby, and that’s exactly what I’ll do when I’m elected to Congress,” Randolph said. “Gun violence is a serious epidemic in this country, but Members of Congress have repeatedly failed to enact common sense gun control legislation – even after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history happened right here in Orlando. That is unacceptable. I am proud to stand with the Brady Campaign and the millions of Americans who are demanding an end to gun violence.”
