Giffords endorses Biden as gun safety choice for president

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) announced her endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden for president on Wednesday.

The endorsement from Giffords, a gun violence survivor, comes with support from the gun violence prevention organization Giffords, which she co-founded with her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly. Kelly is currently running to unseat Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.).

“Joe Biden leads with his heart. He has the compassion and toughness to lead on gun safety. I’ve witnessed him comfort the survivors of gun violence, and I’ve seen him fight for solutions to gun violence — and win. This is the leadership we need in the White House. Joe Biden is the choice for a gun safety president,” Giffords said in a statement.

The former congresswoman is slated to join Biden in Miami for an endorsement rally on Monday ahead of Florida’s Tuesday primary.

“Congresswoman Gabby Giffords is an American hero who embodies the courage and tenacity we need to take on and defeat the gun lobby. I have been proud to work alongside Gabby in the fight to end gun violence and am honored to have her support today,” Biden said in a statement. 

Giffords was shot at a constituent event in Tucson, Ariz., in 2011. The House-passed Bipartisan Background Check Act is titled H.R. 8 in honor of her representation of Arizona’s 8th District. 

“After I was shot, Joe Biden was there for me. As I worked to recover and resume my public service, he was there for me. As we’ve built a gun safety movement and campaigned to pass safer gun laws across America, he has been there with us, time and time again,” Giffords said. 

As of January, Giffords had spent more than $500,000 on paid advertising in Colorado to unseat Sen. Cory Gardner (R) and had run $750,000 on national advertisements calling for Senate action on gun control. In the 2018 midterms, Giffords PAC spent nearly $7 million on candidates.

The group also held a forum alongside March for Our Lives in October, which Biden participated in.