ORLANDO | Pride Fund to End Gun Violence announced its re-endorsement of U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Winter Park, July 12.
Murphy has served Florida’s 7th Congressional District since her 2016 election in which she beat 12-term Republican incumbent John Mica. Murphy’s district covers all of Seminole County and a portion of northern Orange County, which includes Winter Park and most of downtown Orlando.
Pride Fund is America’s only LGBTQ Political Action Committee (PAC) that centers solely on preventing gun violence, according to a July 12 press release.
“Our government’s inability to address gun violence is one of the main reasons I ran for Congress, and my victory would not have been possible without the endorsement and support from the Pride Fund,” Murphy said in the release. “I am honored to once again earn their support as we keep fighting for LGBTQ equality and commonsense gun safety reforms that reduce gun violence and save lives.”
Pride Fund was founded by Jason Lindsay, a gay Iraq War veteran, after the June 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting left 49 people dead.
The release states Murphy received Pride Fund’s full support in 2016, with the organization maxing out its direct PAC financial contribution and running a Super PAC independent expenditure campaign highlighting Mica’s association with the National Rifle Association.
“Pride Fund endorsed Murphy for re-election because she stands for the core principles of Pride Fund — advancing commonsense gun reform and LGBTQ equality,” the release states.
Lindsay referred to Murphy as one of the most outspoken congressional leaders in regard to gun violence.
Murphy has demonstrated her will to help prevent gun violence with her sponsorship of the Gun Violence Research Act. The act amends the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act to throw out the prohibition that kept the Department of Health and Human Services from using federal funds to advocate gun control, text of the bill states.
The release states Murphy is likely to be up against State Rep. Mike Miller, R-Winter Park, in the November general election. Miller has received an “A” rating from the NRA’s PAC, the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF).
An “A” is given to a “solidly pro-gun candidate” who has a “record of support on Second Amendment issues,” according to the NRA-PVF website. During the 2016 race against Mica, Murphy was given an “F” rating due to her support of gun control.
Miller was recently blasted by Democrats for holding a fundraiser in Miami instead of being in Orlando on the two-year mark of the Pulse shooting.
The release states Miller and another Republican candidate, Scott Sturgill, did not respond to Pride Fund’s candidate questionnaire about their stances on gun safety and LGBTQ equality.
Other candidates vying to represent Florida’s 7th Congressional District are Democrat Chardo Richardson and Republican Vennia Francois.
Lindsay says Pride Fund will “fight tooth-and-nail” to ensure Murphy is re-elected.
“We need elected officials who will stand up for people — not for the profits of the corporate gun manufacturers,” Lindsay said.
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Murphy’s website.
