Gun control groups are circling their wagons around Lucy McBath, the activist whose surprise challenge of U.S. Rep. Karen Handel has shaken up the Democratic primary for Georgia's 6th Congressional District.
The political arm of the Everytown for Gun Safety, the New York-based advocacy group, plans to announce its endorsement of McBath today, along with more than $200,000 in digital ads and mailers aimed at sharing the former flight attendant’s story with Democratic primary voters.
McBath first got involved in politics after her 17-year-old son was fatally shot in a convenience store parking lot in 2012 following a dispute over his music. She had initially planned to challenge Republican Sam Teasley for his statehouse seat but changed course after the Parkland, Fla., shootings.
Everytown's endorsement isn't exactly a surprise – McBath has been a national spokeswoman for the group for years – but it shows how gun violence prevention groups are looking to flex their political muscle in the aftermath of Parkland and the March for Our Lives. Another firearms-related advocacy group, The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, rolled out its own endorsement of McBath last week.
Everytown’s President John Feinblatt called McBath “one of the gun safety movement’s most effective activists.”
“Congress needs more members like Lucy—courageous leaders who value our children’s lives more than an NRA ‘A’ rating,” he said.
McBath's entry into the 6th District race has helped bring gun control, school safety and gun violence prevention to the forefront of the contest, even as her fundraising has lagged behind that of fellow Democrats.
While McBath's three primary opponents have all voiced support for stronger gun control laws, Handel, R-Roswell, has mainly focused on school safety in the aftermath of the Parkland massacre.
Read more: Georgia congressional race pulled into national gun control debate