Drew Wilson
Gun safety group Giffords PAC is endorsing Democrat Janelle Perez in the race for Senate District 38 alongside several candidates for local office in Miami-Dade County.
Giffords PAC was founded by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat who was shot during an assassination attempt a decade ago.
“Too many Floridians have lost their lives and so many more survivors face a future that’s been marked by gun violence. Florida’s current leaders are not doing enough. That’s why Giffords is proud to endorse this slate of gun safety champions in Miami-Dade who will prioritize gun violence prevention and support commonsense measures like universal background checks while opposing dangerous proposals like permitless concealed carry,” she said.
Former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who represented Florida’s 26th Congressional District 2019-21, also weighed in.
“As a survivor of gun violence and former Congresswoman who fought for gun safety measures in Congress, I’ve seen firsthand the gun lobby at work in Florida. For too long too many Floridian leaders have prioritized the gun lobby over their constituents. We are here today to say enough is enough,” she said. “I am proud to work with Giffords to endorse this important slate of gun safety champions. This group of leaders will fight for gun violence prevention efforts and oppose dangerous legislation like permitless carry. It’s time to get these leaders to Tallahassee.”
Giffords this week launched a Florida branch and funded it with $1 million. It will undertake get-out-the-vote efforts and conduct polling on gun violence issues, among other things.
“I am proud to receive Giffords’ endorsement in the fight for a safer Senate District 38 and a safer Florida. Our Governor and radical Republicans in the state Legislature have committed to passing open carry next year — putting our children, our community, and our future at risk for preventable gun violence,” Perez said in a news release. “When elected to the Florida Senate, I vow to fight for the kind of responsible, commonsense gun safety measures supported by the majority of Americans that protect us all.”
Perez is competing against Republican Alexis Calatayud in the race for SD 38, an open seat covering several coastal Miami-Dade municipalities, including Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami, parts of Homestead and Coral Gables, and the unincorporated neighborhoods of Goulds, Kendall, Sunset, Perrine, Redland and Westchester.
