A new generation of young political leaders is ascending to office across the United States by leveraging their personal experience with gun violence to push for policy changes they contend the public is ready for.
Their ascent marks a multi-year transformation. Gun violence prevention has moved from a political taboo seldom discussed on the stump to a central platform that candidates, predominantly from the Democratic party, are now running – and winning – on.
A Collective Exhaustion Fuels the Change
This change is fueled in part by a national weariness with gun violence, including large-scale attacks – like tragedies at Brown University and a Sydney beach – as well as firearms suicides and street violence, which persist in devastating countless American lives.
“It’s been an issue that has impacted my life,” said a Tennessee state representative. “Serving as a legislator and witnessing government inaction, while recalling the impact in my neighborhood, that compelled me to say this is an issue we must address urgently.”
Ironically, the day he was took office was also the most lethal attack in Tennessee history, when three children and three adults were murdered at a Nashville school.
From Protest to Prominence
Shortly after, he and two other fellow legislators staged a demonstration on the house floor to demand stricter firearms laws. The lawmakers were removed from office for their action, an act that catapulted them to national prominence. They eventually were reinstated.
Months later, Pearson’s brother died of a firearm suicide. This was not his first encounter with violent loss; previously, his mentor and a old schoolmate were also shot and killed in Memphis.
Now, Pearson is running for a seat in the US Congress by centering firearms safety at the heart of his agenda. He highlights how it affects the state’s young residents, for whom firearms injuries are the leading cause of death.
From Activism to Candidacy
The emergence of candidates focusing on this issue is also a product of the expanding prevention movement across the country, which has evolved into a pipeline for political newcomers.
- Maxwell Frost, the nation’s first Gen Z US representative, started off 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 volunteers with Moms Demand Action before running for office.
- Cameron Kasky, a survivor who helped to organize student protests, has declared his own campaign for a House seat.
“I see myself as a small part of a bigger movement. It’s the reason I got into politics,” said the congressman. “I was 15 when Sandy Hook happened and that’s what pushed me to get involved.”
A Seismic Shift in Politics
Today, calling out gun-rights lobbyists like the NRA is common among Democratic candidates. But less than 15 years ago, many centrist politicians held ‘A’ grades from the organization, and the subject of gun control was considered a political third rail.
“It was gradual and full of ups and downs,” explained a prominent advocate. “We saw our supporters running for office and thought it was logical that someone advocating for laws would want to become a lawmaker.”
Advocates cite the 2012 mass shooting and the subsequent failure in Washington to pass reforms as a turning point. This pushed once NRA-backed politicians to risk their favorable scores to call for limits on assault weapons. Now, having an F rating from the NRA is a point of pride.
“After Parkland, zero Democratic members of Congress had an A rating and were proud about it. That’s a dramatic change,” the advocate continued. “It dispelled a lot of myths and anxieties about being gun safety-forward.”
Personal Loss Fuels Political Action
The issue of gun violence has also activated newcomers to public service.
Shaundelle Brooks lost her son in a Waffle House attack in Nashville. Tragically, another son was wounded leaving a concert. After repeated trips of pleading at the capitol with no response, she decided to become a candidate herself.
“Testifying for seven years and having them just ignoring me, made it clear that I needed to do more than what I was doing,” Brooks said.
“Knowing you’re directly affected, they feel that you’re more authentic to talk about this. They know it’s not a political thing for us,” she stated.
‘It’s Our Turn’ to Lead
These personal experiences of loss unite advocates across the nation, 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 moment to be a part of the solution,” Pearson said of his colleagues. “The world is riddled with entrenched problems. We’ve given people decades to solve them. And now, with our constituents’ support, the moment is ours.”
He believes that tackling gun violence also requires action on bipartisan issues like veteran suicides and housing security, which might find greater support even in conservative legislatures. This holistic approach shows that being focused on ending firearms tragedies isn’t just about restrictions, but also about addressing the underlying conditions.
“We’re not one-dimensional politicians,” he said. “We understand the connected nature of the harms. It’s not just shootings. It’s poverty, pollution, neglected neighborhoods – these are the places with the highest levels of violence. We need leaders who have experienced that reality.”
Ultimately, the candidate contends inaction at the national level on measures like extreme risk protection orders and cooling-off periods has deadly outcomes.
“Because of that inaction, people are dying,” he said. “This problem isn’t going to be solved by repeating old strategies.”
