A new generation of youthful elected officials is gaining power across the nation by leveraging their firsthand encounters with gun violence to push for reforms they contend the country is ready for.
Their rise signifies a multi-year transformation. Gun violence prevention has moved from a political taboo seldom discussed on the stump to a central platform that politicians, mostly Democrats, are now campaigning on successfully.
A Collective Exhaustion Fuels the Change
This evolution is driven partly by a collective exhaustion with gun violence, encompassing mass shootings – such as tragedies at Brown University and a Sydney beach – as well as firearms suicides and community violence, which persist in devastating too many American lives.
“This is a problem that has impacted my life,” explained a Tennessee state representative. “There was something about a legislator and seeing a lack of action, while recalling the effects in my neighborhood, that pushed me to say this is an issue we must address urgently.”
Ironically, the day he was sworn in coincided with the most lethal attack in the state’s history, when three children and three adults were shot and killed at a Covenant school.
From Protest to Prominence
Days later, he and several state Democrats staged a demonstration on the legislative chamber to call for stricter firearms laws. Pearson and his colleague were removed from office for their action, an act that propelled them to widespread recognition. They later were reinstated.
Months later, his sibling was lost to a firearm suicide. This was far from his only encounter with violent loss; just years before, his mentor and a old schoolmate were also fatally shot in his hometown.
Now, he is campaigning for a federal office by placing firearms safety at the core of his agenda. He highlights how it affects the state’s youth, for whom gunshot wounds are the leading cause of death.
From Activism to Candidacy
The emergence of candidates centering gun violence is also a result of the growing prevention movement across the nation, which has evolved into a recruitment channel for new candidates.
- Maxwell Frost, the nation’s first Gen Z congressmember, started off as a activist with March for Our Lives.
- Lucy McBath, a Georgia representative, and Abigail Spanberger, a soon-to-be governor, were both volunteers with Moms Demand Action before entering politics.
- Cameron Kasky, a survivor who was instrumental in student protests, has recently announced his own campaign for a House seat.
“I see myself as a piece of a larger cause. It’s the reason I got into politics,” noted the congressman. “I was 15 when Sandy Hook happened and that’s what inspired me to get involved.”
A Seismic Shift in Politics
Nowadays, calling out gun-rights lobbyists like the NRA is standard practice among Democrats. But less than 15 years ago, many moderate Democrats held ‘A’ grades from the organization, and the subject of gun control was considered a career-ending issue.
“It was a slow process and full of ups and downs,” explained a prominent advocate. “We saw our supporters running for office and thought it was logical that someone shaping legislation would want to become a lawmaker.”
Advocates cite the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy and the lack of action in Congress to pass gun-safety policies as a watershed moment. This pushed formerly gun-friendly Democrats to risk their high ratings to call for limits on high-capacity magazines. Now, having an F rating from the group is a badge of honor.
“After the Florida school shooting, no Democratic members of Congress had an A rating and were proud about it. That’s a seismic shift,” the activist continued. “It shattered a lot of misperceptions and fears about being gun safety-forward.”
Personal Loss Fuels Political Action
The issue of gun violence has also activated first-time entrants to public service.
A Tennessee mother lost her son in a Waffle House attack in Nashville. Tragically, another son was wounded leaving a concert. After repeated trips of advocating at the statehouse with no response, she chose to run for office.
“Coming up here for years and having them just dismiss me, showed me that I needed to do something greater 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 political thing for us,” she added.
‘It’s Our Turn’ to Lead
These shared stories of tragedy connect individuals across the country, forming what those affected describe as a “club no one wants to join.”
“We don’t have a group chat, but we all feel compelled in this time to be a part of the healing,” Pearson said of his colleagues. “The world is riddled with seemingly unsolvable issues. We’ve given people generations to solve them. And now, with our constituents’ support, the moment is ours.”
Pearson argues that addressing gun violence also requires focusing on common-ground problems like veteran suicides and economic stability, which might find greater support even in Republican-led legislatures. This holistic approach shows that being committed to ending firearms tragedies isn’t solely concerning gun laws, but also about addressing the underlying conditions.
“We’re not one-dimensional politicians,” he emphasized. “We understand the intersectionality of the problems. It’s not just gun violence. It’s poverty, environmental issues, neglected neighborhoods – these are the places with the most severe rates of violence. We need leaders who have experienced that pain.”
Ultimately, the candidate contends a lack of movement at the federal level on measures like extreme risk protection orders and waiting periods has real consequences.
“Due to this stagnation, people are dying,” he said. “This crisis isn’t going to be solved by repeating old strategies.”
