At first glance, the midterm elections back in November seemed a bit defeating—major gun-control advocates like Andrew Gillum, Stacey Abrams, and Beto O'Rourke lost their gubernatorial races, and Republicans kept control of the U.S. Senate. But change happens in inches, not feet, and our country has still taken a major political step—specifically in the fight for common-sense gun laws.
The Democrats won the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (that now includes more than 100 women), which means there will be a strong push for gun control legislation allowing Americans to freely go to a bar, a concert, a movie theater, a classroom, a place of worship, a yoga studio, etc., without the fear of being shot. Electing these gun control advocates—many who have experienced gun violence firsthand—was the first step. Now it's time to push them to introduce new legislation on both the state and federal level.
Ahead, a quick and easy guide to legislators who believe in common-sense gun reform, and how to support them.
Editor's note: This post includes a sampling of pro-gun control lawmakers throughout the country currently in an elected position and will continue to be updated.
Cory Booker
State: New Jersey
Position: U.S. Senator
What he says about gun control: “If you need a license to drive a car, you should need a license to own a gun.” Learn more about Booker’s ambitious gun control policy here.
Kamala Harris
State: California
Position: U.S. Senator
What she says about gun control: Most recently, Harris says if elected president, she’ll give Congress 100 days to pass gun laws. Otherwise, she’ll issue an executive order.
Elizabeth Warren
State: Massachusetts
Position: U.S. Senator
What she says about gun control: “I've never taken a penny from the NRA & I'm not going to start now. That's why I'm taking the #NoNRAMoney pledge. If enough leaders join me, we can finally stand up to the gun lobbyists & get some real change,” Warren tweeted in May 2018.
Pete Buttigieg
State: Indiana
Position: Mayor of South Bend
What he says about gun control: Buttigieg is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan group within the Everytown network that's comprised of more than 1,000 mayors advocating for gun safety. Learn more about his stance on gun control here.
Amy Klobuchar
State: Minnesota
Position: U.S. Senator
What she says about gun control: Klobuchar has made it clear it’s time for common-sense gun reform, though she’ll be looking at legislation from the perspective of "Would this hurt my Uncle Dick in the deer stand?" Banning assault weapons and background checks would not hurt Uncle Dick.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
State: New York
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 14
What she says about gun control: After the Christchurch, New Zealand massacre, AOC tweeted, “You know, instead of training children, teachers, houses of faith, & concertgoers to prep for being shot, we could just:
-Pass Universal Background checks (#HR8!)
-Disarm domestic abusers
-Mandate safe storage
-Ban bump stocks, semiautos, & high cap mags designed to kill people.”
Ayanna Pressley
State: Massachusetts
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 7
What she says about gun control: Pressley wrote an opinion piece for The Boston Globe on how women can help stop gun violence. Read it here.
Peter King
State: New York
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 2
What he says about gun control: King voted to push H.R. 8 forward as a Republican co-sponsor of the bill, and has encouraged his fellow party members to support it as well. H.R. 8 is the most historic piece of gun legislation that has passed through the House. Learn more about it here.
Lucy McBath
State: Georgia
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 6
What she says about gun control: “It is unfortunately not surprising that on the very same day I officially became a congresswoman-elect, other families in this country are receiving the same exact call that I did six years ago when I learned my son had been murdered,” McBath said in a statement, according to The Washington Post. “The tragedy in California is one of far too many. I grieve with the families affected and for every life lost. I pray that Congress will support me in taking action to prevent these tragedies from affecting the lives of so many."
Nikki Fried
State: Florida
Position: Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services
What she says about gun control: “For eight years Florida’s Department of Agriculture has been run by the NRA," Fried said in a direct message to the NRA. "After the failure to perform background checks, we cannot afford another NRA sellout putting our safety at risk...I have a message for the NRA—your control over concealed weapons permits is finished. As commissioner, I won’t be beholden to you, but to the people of Florida. I will do my job and stand up for what’s right.
She continues, "This isn’t partisan—background checks save lives—without violating our Second Amendment. We’ll conduct a full audit of the permit process—to ensure complete, thorough background checks. It’s time for the people to govern.”
Laura Kelly
State: Kansas
Position: Governor
What she says about gun control: "I believe it’s especially important for those of us who support gun rights to lead this fight to find common sense ways to keep our kids and teachers safe from gun violence," Kelly said in a statement in February. "I will work to implement gun safety standards—like requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning bump stocks, and limiting access to the types of assault weapons that were designed for combat zones."
Jennifer Longdon
State: Arizona
Position: State House Representative, District 24
What she says about gun control: “This is going to sound extremely corny, but after that incredible act of evil—someone deliberately pointing a gun at my fiancé and me, and firing it, I’ve always felt this weird need to offset that violence, that evil," Longdon told New Mobility.
"I own a handgun and a hunting rifle—legacy guns from my family—and I own a Glock .45. I'm going to be first in line to protest when we start doing gun grabs, but there need to be universal background checks," she also told Rolling Stone. "It's reasonable and prudent to know who is owning the firearms. Certain machines don't belong in civilian hands. AK-47s were designed to kill, to sweep streets in military conflict—I don't think that belongs in the hands of civilians. We prevent tyranny at the ballot box, not at muzzle point."
Harley Rouda
State: California
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 48
What he says about gun control: "It’s time we pursue common-sense reforms that will keep our neighbors and family members safe. We need to implement mandatory background checks for all gun buyers, including online, at gun shows, and even for 3-D printed guns," Rouda says on his website.
"We need to prevent all convicted domestic abusers from buying guns and once-and-for-all close the so-called 'boyfriend loophole.' And we need to ban assault rifles and high capacity magazines, ban the sale of guns to violent criminals and the mentally ill, and ensure that every gun-buyer is subject to an appropriate waiting period for all purchases."
Katie Hill
State: California
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 25
What she says about gun control: “As Democrats, we should not try to make this a political issue that is about gun legislation because any of the gun legislation we’re advocating for would not have prevented this," Hill told The New York Times after the Thousand Oaks shooting. "We lose credibility if we try to make it as if it would’ve."
Tom Sullivan
State: Colorado
Position: State House Representative, District 37
What he says about gun control: “Those are just common sense things, those are things that the vast majority that the community agrees with and so those are the types of things we can do—banning bump stocks, things that turn assault weapons into machine guns. Those don’t belong in our communities," Sullivan says.
"That’s a common sense thing that people agree on yet we couldn’t get something like that passed last year. But now with both houses and a governor, those are the type of things that can get taken care of.”
Jacky Rosen
State: Nevada
Position: U.S. Senator
What she says about gun control: "We can support the Second Amendment AND take reasonable steps to reduce gun violence in our communities," Rosen tweeted in October while she was a member of the House of Representatives. "Gun violence is a public health crisis. I urge my colleagues to join together and work across the aisle to decrease the scope & devastation of these mass shootings."
Ned Lamont
State: Connecticut
Position: Governor
What he says about gun control: "As governor, I will tighten our existing gun laws and close existing loopholes, expand gun buyback programs, preserve and seek to expand funding for efforts like Project Longevity, a program launched in 2012 operating in New Haven, Hartford, and Bridgeport that has helped reduce rates of gun violence by intervening before violence occurs," Lamont wrote on his website.
"I will review and support implementation of policies that have had success in Connecticut and neighboring states, including Trauma-Informed Community Response in which communities, mental and social services and other health services and law enforcement work together to help communities heal from gun violence and understand how to prevent future gun violence. I will be a continuous and vocal advocate for smart, common sense legislation."
Tina Smith
State: Minnesota
Position: U.S. Senator
What she says about gun control: “If you can buy a gun at Dick’s Sporting Goods and get a background check, why not if you buy a gun online?”
Jennifer Wexton
State: Virginia
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 10
What she says about gun control: According to her website, Wexton says she "will support legislation that expands mandatory background checks on gun purchases, closes loopholes that allow criminals to purchase firearms, establishes a ban on sales of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and allows the federal government to study gun violence as a public health issue."
Steve Sisolak
State: Nevada
Position: Governor
What he says about gun control: "Gun violence has taken too many lives, including the 58 lost on 1 October," Sisolak tweeted in April 2018. "As governor I will stand up to the @NRA & enact commonsense reforms like enforcing background checks & banning assault weapons, bump stocks, high capacity magazines & silencers #EnoughisEnough #VegasStrong"
Jason Crow
State: Colorado
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 6
What he says about gun control: According to Vox Crow's "proposed gun control solutions are ones that both parties can get behind. The list of measures he’s backing includes universal background checks, a ban on military-style assault weapons, magazine limitations, closing the gun show loophole, overturning the Dickey Amendment, and imposing better checks on mental health before people purchase guns."
Ruth Richardson
State: Minnesota
Position: State House Representative, District 52B
What she says about gun control: "I support common sense gun reform, including things like universal background checks that are supported by the vast majorities of Americans including gun owners," says Richardson.
Michelle Lujan Grisham
State: New Mexico
Position: Governor
What she says about gun control: "I am inspired to see young people from all across the country doing everything they can to make their schools and communities safer places to live and learn. I share their passion, their determination, and their frustration with a Congress that has repeatedly failed to enact widely-supported, common-sense protections to address the gun violence epidemic in America," Grisham says.
"They, and the vast majority of Americans, agree that we can do more to stop criminals and the seriously mentally ill from getting guns, while also ensuring that law-abiding, responsible citizens can freely own them."
Kirsten Gillibrand
State: New York
Position: U.S. Senator
What she says about gun control: After the Thousand Oaks shooting in November, Gillibrand told Stephen Colbert, "It is extraordinarily heartbreaking and it's infuriating because Congress literally has done nothing in the face of gun death after gun death in communities all across this country. And it is because of the greed: the greed of the gun manufacturers and the greed of the NRA."
Dean Phillips
State: Minnesota
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 3
What he says about gun control: “Thoughts and tweets don’t save lives—courage and action save lives," Phillips wrote on his website. "And since Congress has refused to effect change to improve safety, I will do everything in my power to support students mobilizing to change Congress.”
Jahana Hayes
State: Connecticut
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 5
What she says about gun control: Hayes wrote an essay for Medium on her gun control stance titled, 'Common Sense Gun Laws Saves Lives.' "As most people know by now, I am an educator. What people may not know is that my husband is a police officer. When we get dressed for work, he puts on a gun and I do not. He goes to work to protect and serve, I go to work to give kids the tools they need to succeed."
She continues, "The idea of arming teachers and mixing these two professions is insane and as an educator and as your congresswoman, I will vigorously oppose it. But simply opposing bad ideas is not enough — we need to go on offense."
Kate Brown
State: Oregon
Position: Governor
What she says about gun control: “I’m proud to sign this bill, making Oregon the first state to take action to prevent senseless gun violence since the tragedy in Parkland, Florida," Brown said in March 2018.
"Today marks an important milestone, but we know we have more to do. It’s long past time we hold the White House and Congress accountable. Now’s the time to enact real change and federal gun safety legislation.”
Lauren Underwood
State: Illinois
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 14
What she says about gun control: "We have a moral obligation to address the gun violence epidemic that is threatening communities across our country," Underwood writes on her website.
"First, we absolutely need universal background checks for all gun sales, whether through federal licenses, over the internet, or through private exchanges. The current system includes loopholes that make it easy for criminals and dangerously mentally ill to buy guns; it’s just common sense to fix this vulnerability. Additionally, individuals who have existing legal actions regarding threats of violence (i.e. restraining orders) should not be permitted to purchase new firearms. We must be allowed to study this epidemic as the critical public health issue that it is—and its time to repeal the Dickey Amendment. This is a public safety issue of critical importance, and I have been so disappointed in the lack of courage or congressional action on this issue. We deserve better."
Ted Deutch
State: Florida
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 22
What he says about gun control: In a Sun-Sentinel op-ed Deutch wrote, "Congress could pass commonsense gun safety laws that would save lives and make our streets safer: Reinstate the assault weapons ban, prevent modifications that enable simulated automatic fire, ban high capacity magazines, prohibit sales to known terrorists, and require universal background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those with mental illness."
Abigail Spanberger
State: Virginia
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 7
What she says about gun control: "I support background checks for all firearm purchases, regardless of where or from whom the purchases are made," Spanberger says on her website. "States that require background checks for all purchases have fewer suicides by gun, fewer law enforcement officers shot and killed, and fewer women killed by an intimate partner. Ninety four percent of Americans support background checks for all firearms purchases, as well as the Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police."
She continues, "I support common sense gun policy, such as HR 2598, the Gun Violence Restraining Order Act of 2017. The implementation of Gun Violence Restraining Orders allow family, friends, and law enforcement to help people facing crisis who, with a firearm in their possession, might be a risk to themselves or others. I support ensuring that states have the ability to provide current information to the NICs database to ensure informed background checks, and I support funding the research of gun violence. I also support the proposed HR 5087, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2018."
Colin Allred
State: Texas
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 32
What he says about gun control: "Proud to be certified as a Gun Sense Candidate by @MomsDemand," Allred tweeted in April 2018. "I will continue to stand up for common sense gun safety because we must do more to protect our country from gun violence."
Bob Menendez
State: New Jersey
Position: U.S. Senator
What he says about gun control: "Unfortunately, too many of my colleagues act as if mass shootings are inevitable when, in reality, they are preventable. And the American people are sick and tired of it. That’s why they’ve been so inspired by the students from Parkland."
Menendez continues, "As Americans take action, the question is whether Congress will do the same. Far too many of my colleagues still fear a backlash from the NRA. But if we’re going to get anywhere, we must stop letting the NRA set the agenda here in Washington.” Watch the full video here.
Jared Polis
State: Colorado
Position: Governor
What he says about gun control: “The fight for gun safety isn’t about politics. It’s about the lives of our kids and their friends," says Polis. "I’m the parent of a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old, and I won’t let the NRA—or the politicians they’ve bought—stand in the way of our children’s safety.”
Val Demings
State: Florida
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 10
What she says about gun control: “Every American should have the right to go to school, to go to church, to go to a mall, to go to a movie theater or a night club without being brutally murdered by someone with a gun." Watch Demings' full address here.
J.B. Pritzker
State: Illinois
Position: Governor
What he says about gun control: "It’s time we address gun violence as we would treat a public health epidemic. Like treating a disease, we need to interrupt gun violence, reduce the risk of it spreading, and prevent it by building safer and healthier communities," Pritzker says.
"Without a doubt, we need common-sense and long-overdue gun safety legislation. Criminals and those who want to do harm shouldn’t have access to guns, and no one should have access to weapons of war or be able to obtain guns illegally. We need to ban assault weapons, bump stocks, and high-capacity magazines, and we need to stop the importation of illegal guns across Illinois’ borders. It’s also time to enforce universal background checks and enact a gun dealer licensing bill."
Stephanie Murphy
State: Florida
Position: U.S. House Representative, District 7
What she says about gun control: “The people of Florida know better than almost anywhere else in the country how devastating the impact of gun violence can be. It was right here in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub where 49 people were shot and killed, and it was just a few hours away where 17 students and teachers were murdered in Parkland, FL," Murphy said in a Brady Campaign statement. "In my first campaign and now in my re-election, I’ve run as an unapologetic advocate for common-sense gun safety reform."
"I’ve been proud to fight for gun safety in Congress, and I’ll be prouder to do it alongside the remarkable, newly-elected men and women who will be standing beside me in the years to come. My thanks go out to the Brady Campaign for their dedication to this important issue and to getting the vote out in our district so that we can continue our efforts to save lives. Let’s get to work!"
Gina Raimondo
State: Rhode Island
Position: Governor
What she says about gun control: “Yes, we need to change Rhode Island’s gun laws to protect Rhode Islanders. Yes, we need to outlaw military style assault weapons like our neighbors have in Massachusetts and Connecticut," Raimondo told The Providence Journal.
She continues, "Yes, we need to join with the majority of states that already prohibit civilians from carrying concealed weapons in our children’s schools. And yes, we need to ban the high-capacity ammunition magazines used to kill 17 students and teachers this past Wednesday in Parkland, Florida, and 26 church congregants in Sutherland Springs, Texas in November, and 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October, and 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando [in 2016], and 26 students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012."
"As Governor, my top priority is keeping Rhode Islanders safe. It is past time for Rhode Island to join our neighbors in enacting these common-sense measures."
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