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G-PAC and Giffords PAC Endorse Governor Pritzker and Lt. Governor Stratton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 27, 2022

G-PAC and Giffords PAC Endorse Governor Pritzker and Lt. Governor Stratton

 Final Round of General Election Endorsements Include 70+ State and Local Candidates

 Aurora, Ill. — Releasing their final round of endorsements, today the Gun Violence Prevention PAC and Giffords PAC endorsed Governor JB Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton for re-election along with more than 70 other state and local candidates in the 2022 general election at an event at African American Men of Unity in Aurora.

“In recent years, we have made strides to crack down on illegal guns and pass laws that protect public safety because of the leadership of Governor Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Stratton,” said Kathleen Sances, President and CEO of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC. “This November, gun violence is on the ballot. We must vote to ensure that we have the strongest set of leaders in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of our government who support our efforts to protect Illinois children, families and communities from gun violence. I am confident that our endorsed candidates will make our state a safer place.”

“Governor JB Pritzker is one of our country’s fiercest champions for gun safety,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Under his tenure as governor of Illinois, he has banned ghost guns in the state, declared gun violence a public health crisis, expanded background checks, modernized the state’s Firearm Owners Identification card system, signed into law legislation to address gun trafficking, and invested $250 million in violence prevention programs. Now, he’s working to continue to strengthen Illinois’s laws. It is critical that we re-elect Governor Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Stratton to continue this progress and help keep Illinois families safe. We are proud to endorse Governor Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Stratton with G-PAC today.”

“My beautiful son, Trevor, was murdered at a mass workplace shooting on February 15, 2019. It was his first day as an intern and he was very excited to start at Henry Pratt and was looking forward to his graduation from NIU a few months later. He never made it out alive on his first day,” said Bonnie Rich. “Our lives were shattered on that tragic day and we are still picking up the pieces. We need leaders that will treat gun violence like the public health epidemic that it is. Governor Pritzker has been an advocate for families like mine by signing multiple laws to make our state safer. I hope others will join me in electing officials who are working to address gun violence so no one has to experience the tragedy of losing a loved one because of gun violence.”

“I lost both of my kids to gun violence, twenty years apart. Since Tyesa and Tyler’s murder, I have become committed to doing everything I can to stop gun violence,” said Delphine Cherry. “Our leaders must address gun violence like the public health epidemic that it is, and this November, the two candidates running for Governor couldn’t be more different on this issue. Gov. Pritzker has had a longstanding commitment to reducing gun violence. On the other hand, his opponent has tried to block progress pushed by survivors every step of the way. What’s worse is that he seems to have an obsession with weapons of war – and it disgusts me. No average citizen needs an assault weapon. The choice is clear this November.”

Over the past three years, Gov. JB Pritzker has worked closely with G-PAC and Giffords to protect Illinois families by signing the following bills into law:

The Pritzker administration has also doubled the amount of funding for violence prevention and anti-violence programs and launched the Reimagine Public Safety Initiative, which is backed by $500 million to support community groups working to reduce violence in communities hit the hardest by crime.

“Our entire nation is experiencing a rise in gun violence and yet Republicans would rather sit on their hands and enable weapons manufacturers than pass commonsense reforms,” said Governor Pritzker. “I know that the gun violence which has become endemic to America is not the default and that the time for gun reform is now. I’m honored to stand with such impactful partners as G-PAC, who are fighting the good fight so that we may live in a society where the lives of our families and friends come before the gun lobby.”

“Every Illinoisan, in every zip code, deserves to be safe. And as someone who has been directly impacted by gun violence, this issue is personal to me and why I’m proud to work alongside Governor Pritzker on a holistic response,” said Lt. Governor Stratton. “Gun violence is a public health crisis, and to address it we must also address the issues of poverty, systemic racism and historic disinvestment from far too many communities. I’m grateful to receive G-PAC’s endorsement for the second time as it serves as an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to creating a safer and more equitable Illinois for all.”

In addition to the state’s top leaders, G-PAC and Giffords are also endorsing over 70 other candidates across the Illinois House, Illinois Senate, and local offices. After vetting each candidate’s voting record, policy platforms and responses to a rigorous questionnaire, the leading gun violence prevention organizations are putting their full support behind the following candidates:

Illinois House of Representatives:

  • Rep. Aaron Ortiz (HD 1)
  • Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez (HD 2)
  • Rep. Eva-Dina Delgago (HD 3)
  • Rep. Sonya Harper (HD 6)
  • Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch (HD 7)
  • Rep. Lakesia Collins (HD 9)
  • Rep. Ann Williams (HD 11)
  • Rep. Margaret Croke (HD 12)
  • Hoan Huynh (HD 13)
  • Rep. Kelly Cassidy (HD 14)
  • Rep. Mike Kelly (HD 15)
  • Kevin Olickal (HD 16)
  • Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowtiz (HD 17)
  • Rep. Robyn Gabel (HD 18)
  • Rep. Lindsey La Pointe (HD 19)
  • Rep. Edgar Gonzales, Jr. (HB 23)
  • Rep. Theresa Mah (HD 24)
  • Rep. Kam Buckner (HD 26)
  • Rep. Justin Slaughter (HD 27)
  • Rep. Bob Rita (HD 28)
  • Rep. Thaddeus Jones (HD 29)
  • Rep. Will Davis (HD 30)
  • Rep. Mary Flowers (HD 31)
  • Rep. Cyril Nichols (HD 31)
  • Rep. Marcus Evans (HD 33)
  • Rep. Nick Smith (HD 34)
  • Rep. Fran Hurley (HD 35)
  • Rep. Kelly Burke (HD 36)
  • Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin (HD 38)
  • Rep. Will Guzzardi (HD 39)
  • Rep. Jaimes Andrare (HD 40)
  • Rep. Anna Moeller (HD 43)
  • Rep. Fred Crespo (HD 44)
  • Jenn Ladisch Douglass (HD 45)
  • Rep. Barbara Hernandez (HD 50)
  • Nabeela Syed (HD 51)
  • Mary Morgan (HD 52)
  • Rep. Marty Moylan (HD 55)
  • Rep. Michelle Mussman (HD 56)
  • Rep. Jonathan Carroll (HD 57)
  • Rep. Bob Morgan (HD 58)
  • Rep. Daniel Didech (HD 59)
  • Linda Robertson (HD 65)
  • Peter Janko (HD 69)
  • Heidi Henry (HD 75)
  • Rep. Camille Lilly (HD 78)
  • Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar (HD 85)
  • Rep. Natalie Manley (HD 98)

  Illinois Senate

  • Javier Loera Cervantes (SD 1)
  • Sen. Omar Aquino (SD 2)
  • Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (SD 6)
  • Sen. Ram Villivalam (SD 8)
  • Sen. Laura Fine (SD 9)
  • Sen. Robert Martwick (SD 10)
  • Mike Porfirio (SD 11)
  • Sen. Celina Villanueva (SD 12)
  • Sen. Elgie Sims (Sd 17)
  • Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas ( SD 20)
  • Sen. Cristina Castro (SD 22)
  • Sen. Karina Villa (SD 25)
  • Sen. Julie Morrison (SD 29)
  • Sen. Adriane Johnson (SD 30)
  • Mary Edly-Allen (SD 31)
  • Rachel Ventura (SD 43)

Cook County 

  • President Toni Preckwinkle
  • Sheriff Tom Dart
  • Comm. Dennis Deer (2nd District)
  • Comm. Bill Lowry (3rd District)
  • Comm.Donna Miller (6th District)
  • Maggie Trevor (9th District)
  • Comm. Bridget Degnen (12th District)
  • Josina Morita (13th District)
  • Comm. Scott Britton (14th District)
  • Comm. Kevin Morrison (15th District)
  • Comm. Frank Aguilar (16th District)
  • Dan Calandriello (17th District)

G-PAC is a proud member of the Protect Our Court campaign, which has organized more than 150 leaders across Illinois to raise awareness of the Illinois Supreme Court races this November. Judge Elizabeth Rochford and Justice Mary Kay O’Brien were endorsed for the 2nd and 3rd districts of the Illinois Supreme Court, respectively.

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About Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC)

The Gun Violence Prevention Political Action Committee (G-PAC) is the state’s leading gun violence prevention advocacy organization. It was founded in 2013 by survivors to counter the political influence of the gun industry and their lobby in Springfield.

About Giffords PAC

Giffords is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords PAC inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.

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Rick Ryan

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As the Lake County State’s Attorney, I am honored and humbled every day to lead the fight against crime, and to strive to ensure equal and just treatment under the law. I have been an attorney for twenty-two years – and each of those years has made me a stronger and smarter advocate for people, for ideas, and for the principles that unite us all.

I am so proud to lead an office of 140 dedicated colleagues who serve the public by prosecuting crime, advocating for victims, and planning crime prevention programs. I am also proud to work with hundreds of Lake County police officers on a daily basis to connect with every community and to develop comprehensive, holistic plans to respond to the mental health and economic crisis that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On one particular day, July 4, 2022, I was saddened, inspired, and motivated by the bravery of so many people. We will always stand with the victims and honor the police and other first responders who ran toward the danger. Just as so many heroes that day thought only of themselves, I also witnessed the prosecutors in my office answer the call to serve survivors and their community – even on one of its darkest days.

Every moment that I have been your legal representative, I have worked tirelessly to oversee prosecutions and to implement policies that make my family and my neighbors safer in the short term and in the long term. That is the job of the State’s Attorney: to prosecute, to innovate, and to strategically plan.

I was raised in a small town. My parents are teachers, and from them, I learned that everyone must be treated equally and that America’s sacred mission is to provide a political, economic, and legal system that allows anyone to prosper regardless of the circumstances of their birth. After graduating from Knox College and the University of Chicago Law School, I spent two years at a first-rate civil law firm in Chicago where I learned that hard work and attention to detail on every case mean the difference between success and failure.

With my wonderful wife Stephanie, I am raising my two sons, Sam and Teddy, in Lake County. Nothing is more important to me than my family’s safety and I bring that passion and determination to protect all families with me to work every day.

I joined the Lake County Public Defender’s Office in 2003 and started my own law firm in 2009. From 2003 until 2020, I watched the Lake County legal system fail to prioritize violent crime, prevent wrongful prosecutions, or address racial disparities.

So, in 2019, I decided to run for State’s Attorney so that I could serve our community by improving a local legal system that cared more about covering up its mistakes and biases than uncovering new and innovative ways to help people.

I won the 2020 election, and became the first Democrat to hold this position in 40 years. Bringing in a new party wasn’t as important as ending 40 years of one mindset that had forgotten the people and that had failed to act urgently to develop new strategic plans to prevent crime while also ensuring that each prosecution is smart, moral, and just.

We have followed through on our promises. We have built the first-ever violent crimes unit, increased prosecutors in our domestic violence division, and vastly upgraded our cyber lab. Now, we have top-notch software and personnel to finally keep up with those who would exploit others.

We have been awarded a large federal grant to bring the first ever Human Trafficking Task Force to Lake County. We have deepened our investment in people by bringing in more victim specialists and raising the salaries of many of our prosecutors.

But the work goes on. We must expand our prevention efforts that are starting with the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative launched in 2022. And we know that the opioid crisis touches thousands of lives throughout this country.

I am proud to serve on the Executive Board of the Lake County Opioid Initiative which has been working tirelessly since its founding in 2012 to reverse a devastating trend of increased overdoses. In 2022, our office was part of a national settlement against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

As an attorney of 22 years, I have committed my life to helping people, and I have conducted over 70 jury trials in Lake County, and handled appeals that have culminated in over 20 oral arguments before the appellate court and Supreme Court of Illinois.

I see my time in this office as the next phase of helping a community that I love and where I have chosen to raise my family. In my first term, we have made Lake County safer and fairer through just prosecutions, constitutional policing, and innovative crime prevention policies.