The advocacy arm of Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun control group co-founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on Friday announced it is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president.
John Feinblatt, Everytown’s president, said “gun sense voters” have a champion in Mrs. Clinton.
“Our litmus test is simple: Does a candidate side with the public or with the gun lobby?” Mr. Feinblatt said. “Hillary Clinton passes that test with flying colors — pushing back against the NRA’s extreme ’guns for everyone, everywhere’ agenda, and ushering in a new political calculus that saving lives from gun violence is a winning issue.”
The endorsement comes two weeks after the National Rifle Association endorsed presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump, and just days before a handful of states, including California, hold primaries on Tuesday.
Mrs. Clinton has tried to run to Sen. Bernard Sanders’ left on the gun issue during the Democratic primary, criticizing the Vermont senator for his past voting record on legislation to shield gun makers and manufacturers from liability.
She is also trying to fend off Mr. Sanders in California, where recent polls have shown the two candidates running neck and neck.
Richard Martinez, whose son, Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, was killed in a May 2014 shooting near the University of California, Santa Barbara, said he’s voting for Mrs. Clinton on Tuesday.
“After Chris was killed, I vowed to do everything in my power to keep others from experiencing the pain of having a loved one’s life cut short by senseless gun violence — not one more should die this way,” he said. “Next week, I will exercise my power in the voting booth to elect a president who will work to reduce gun violence in America.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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