A fresh wave of young elected officials is ascending to office across the United States by channeling their personal experience with gun violence to push for reforms they believe the country is ready for.
Their ascent marks a nearly decade-long transformation. Gun violence prevention has moved from a third-rail issue rarely spoken about on the stump to a core issue that candidates, mostly from the Democratic party, are now running – and winning – on.
Widespread Fatigue Drives the Shift
This change is fueled in part by a national weariness with firearms deaths, including mass shootings – like tragedies at Brown University and Bondi Beach – as well as gun-related suicides and community violence, which persist in devastating countless American lives.
“It’s been an issue that has directly touched me,” explained Justin Pearson. “Serving as a state representative and seeing government inaction, while recalling the impact in my neighborhood, that compelled me to say this is an issue we must prioritize.”
The day he was took office was also the deadliest shooting in Tennessee history, when six individuals were murdered at a Nashville private school.
Expulsion and a National Spotlight
Days later, he and two other state Democrats staged a demonstration on the legislative chamber to demand stronger gun policy. The lawmakers were removed from office for their action, an act that catapulted them to widespread recognition. They eventually were reinstated.
Months later, his sibling died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This was not his first experience with tragic death; just years before, his guide and a former classmate were also shot and killed in Memphis.
Now, he is campaigning for a federal office by placing gun violence at the heart of his agenda. He highlights how it affects the state’s youth, for whom firearms injuries are the primary killer.
From Activism to Candidacy
The rise of office-seekers focusing on gun violence is also a product of the growing advocacy network across the nation, which has evolved into a pipeline for political newcomers.
- Maxwell Frost, the country’s first Gen Z US representative, began as a volunteer with a student-led gun-safety group.
- Lucy McBath, a Georgia representative, and Abigail Spanberger, a soon-to-be governor, were both involved with a grassroots safety organization before running for office.
- Cameron Kasky, a Parkland survivor who was instrumental in student protests, has declared his own run for a House seat.
“I see myself as a piece of a larger cause. It’s the driving force I got into politics,” noted Frost. “I was 15 when the Newtown tragedy happened and that’s what pushed me to get involved.”
From Third Rail to Talking Point
Today, challenging pro-gun groups like the National Rifle Association is common among Democratic candidates. But less than 15 years ago, many moderate Democrats held ‘A’ grades from the organization, and the topic of regulating guns was considered a career-ending issue.
“It was a slow process and full of ups and downs,” explained a prominent advocate. “We saw our volunteers seeking election and thought it was logical that someone advocating for laws would want to take the next step.”
Many point to the 2012 mass shooting and the lack of action in Congress to pass reforms as a turning point. This led once NRA-backed politicians to risk their favorable scores to support restrictions on assault weapons. Now, having an F rating from the NRA is a point of pride.
“After the Florida school shooting, zero Democratic members of Congress had an A rating and were proud about it. That’s a seismic shift,” the activist added. “It dispelled a lot of misperceptions and anxieties about being gun safety-forward.”
From Grieving Parent to Candidate
The epidemic of gun violence has also mobilized newcomers to politics.
A Tennessee mother lost her son in a Waffle House attack in the city. Tragically, another son was shot and injured leaving a concert. After years of advocating at the capitol with little result, she decided to run for office.
“Testifying for seven years and having them just ignoring me, showed me that I needed to do more than what I was doing,” she said.
“When people see you’re personally impacted, they feel that you’re more credible to talk about this. They know it’s not a partisan game for us,” she stated.
‘It’s Our Turn’ to Lead
These shared stories of loss unite advocates across the country, forming what victims and survivors describe as a “club no one wants to join.”
“We don’t have a group chat, but we all feel compelled in this moment to be a part of the healing,” the representative said of his colleagues. “The world is riddled with entrenched problems. We’ve given people generations to address them. And now, with our the people behind us, the moment is ours.”
He believes that tackling this crisis also requires action on bipartisan issues like veteran suicides and housing security, which might find more traction even in Republican-led legislatures. This holistic approach shows that being focused on ending firearms tragedies isn’t just about gun laws, but also about improving the root causes.
“We’re not single-issue candidates,” he said. “We understand the connected nature of the harms. It’s not just shootings. It’s economic hardship, pollution, neglected neighborhoods – these are the places with the highest levels of violence. We need leaders who have proximity to that pain.”
Ultimately, the candidate says a lack of movement at the national level on measures like extreme risk protection orders and cooling-off periods has deadly outcomes.
“Due to this stagnation, people are dying,” he said. “This crisis isn’t going to be solved by repeating old strategies.”
