Gun-Safety Group Giffords Deploys $10 Million Ad Offensive Targeting Key Republican Candidates

Giffords, the gun-safety advocacy group started by former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords, has launched a $10 million advertising push aimed at Republicans in several swing races. The campaign earmarks $1 million for a TV spot against former Rep. Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate race, $850,000 for Rep. Jen Kiggans in Virginia, and $350,000 for Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey, with plans to add ads in four more House contests.

The ads portray the GOP candidates as soft on gun crime, citing the amount of money they have taken from the gun lobby and alleging they jeopardize police safety. Emma Brown, Giffords’ executive director, explained that national polling by Global Strategy Group showed a GOP edge on public-safety messaging, prompting the group to target races where voters are most concerned about gun violence. The effort also seeks to bolster Democrats such as Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and other battleground candidates, while Giffords herself continues to campaign for figures like Roy Cooper, Jon Ossoff and Katie Hobbs. Despite recent bipartisan gun-safety legislation and a decline in NRA influence, the organization believes strategic ad spending can narrow the perceived Democratic weakness on crime.