CHICAGO — U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath landed a prime speaking slot on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, where she plans to share how she became a nationally renowned gun control advocate after the senseless murder of her teenaged son.
McBath is one of the leading forces in Congress for new gun restrictions and is viewed by fellow Georgia Democrats as a potential contender for governor in 2026.
Republicans, too, clearly see her as a political threat. In 2022 and 2024, GOP leaders redrew her out of her seat. Both times, she switched to nearby seats and trounced primary opponents.
McBath’s scheduled speech tonight will be one of the biggest in her political career, and a chance to press for new firearms limits and other gun control measures. She’s expected to moderate a conversation with gun control activists and several survivors of gun violence.
NBC News reported other speakers will include former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot at an event in her Arizona district in 2011, and a trio of Tennessee state legislators who were expelled from their seats after taking part in a protest supporting firearms restrictions.
McBath is a former flight attendant who delved into politics in 2012 after her 17-year-old son, Jordan Davis, was shot and killed while sitting in a car with friends at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida.
The gunman, Michael Dunn, was sentenced to life in prison two years later for opening fire following a dispute with the teens over the volume of their music.
“I am honored to be telling my story,” she said. “I spoke at the DNC in 2016 just four years after my son was killed. Tonight, I return as a member of Congress to talk about the importance of electing Kamala Harris as our next president.”
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
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