For Immediate Release:
February 1, 2023
For More Information:
Josh Fleitman, CeaseFirePA Action, (412) 426-5148, josh.fleitman@ceasefirepa.org
Carolyn Ban, Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence, (412) 427-4397, cban@pitt.edu
CeaseFirePA Action & Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence Endorse Two Gun Safety Champions for PA House of Reps
Abigail Salisbury and Joe McAndrew Would Help Make Their District & PA Safer
Allegheny County, PA — Today, CeaseFirePA Action, the Commonwealth’s leading gun violence prevention advocacy organization, along with its program, Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence, announced endorsements of two Special Election candidates for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives who will prioritize Pennsylvanians’ lives and safety.
Joe McAndrew in the 32nd House District and Abigail Salisbury in the 34th House District earned this endorsement by demonstrating a commitment to support lifesaving gun violence prevention legislation and continued investments in community violence intervention programs in Harrisburg.
“All Pennsylvanians deserve to feel safe and be safe while walking in their neighborhood, shopping at the grocery store, and attending school. And no one should ever have to receive the crushing news that their loved one has taken their own life with a firearm. Sadly, that’s not the Commonwealth we currently live in, where an estimated 1,900 Pennsylvanians died by firearms in 2021” said Josh Fleitman, CeaseFirePA Action’s Western PA Manager. “But by electing Joe McAndrew and Abigail Salisbury to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, we can begin to change that. I urge all voters in the 32nd and 34th House Districts who care about safer communities to make their voices heard and cast their ballot for these gun safety champions.”
According to Carolyn Ban, chair of the Steering Committee for Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence, “rates of gun violence continue to soar. Whether it is mass murder, street crime, domestic violence, unintentional shootings, or suicides, legislation can reduce the violence and make us safer. Pennsylvania needs to do better!”
Endorsement decisions were exclusively based on candidate responses to a brief questionnaire asking about their support for various gun violence prevention policies. Completion of the questionnaire was a prerequisite for endorsement. All major party candidates in each February 7, 2023 PA House Special Election were invited to complete the questionnaire.
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As the Commonwealth’s leading gun violence prevention organization, CeaseFirePA Action works to ensure everyone can live a life free from gun violence. We organize with communities closest to the issue, hold those in power accountable, and maximize the strengths of every member in our broad coalition.
Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence was founded following the October 27, 2018 synagogue attack with a mission to advocate for legislation that reduces gun violence so that other communities will never face the devastation we have experienced. Squirrel Hill Stands works within Pittsburgh and across Southwest Pennsylvania and is a program of CeaseFirePA.
Paid for by CeaseFirePA Action. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
