From gun violence survivors to mayors, educators, and public servants, Brady PAC backs courageous leaders committed to saving lives and standing up to the gun lobby
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 23, 2026 — Today, Brady PAC, the political arm of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (“Brady”), announced its endorsement of six gun violence prevention candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives: Gun violence survivor Justin J. Pearson (TN-9), Paige Cognetti (PA-8), Christina Hines (MI-10), Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-3), Katy Padilla Stout (TX-23), who is running to represent the Uvalde area, and former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis (CA-38). Together, these leaders represent a new era of public servants prepared to confront America’s gun violence crisis with bold and immediate action, courage, and evidence-based solutions.
Today’s endorsements reflect Brady PAC’s mission of electing leaders who will protect communities, hold the gun industry accountable, and ensure that American freedom includes the freedom to live without gun violence.
“Every election is a choice about the kind of country we want to be. These six candidates know that freedom means being able to send your child to school, attend worship, shop for groceries, or gather with loved ones without fear of gun violence. They are running because they want our government to address kitchen table concerns, not protect the profits of the gun industry,” said Kris Brown, President of Brady PAC.
Among the endorsed candidates is Justin J. Pearson (TN-9), whose family was forever changed when his brother Timphrance died by firearm suicide in 2024. Rather than accept the tragedy as inevitable, Pearson turned his personal loss into a movement for change, becoming one of the nation’s strongest advocates for safer communities.
“Justin J. Pearson knows the cost of inaction in the most horrific and most personal way possible. At a moment when extremist politicians backed by the gun lobby are rolling back lifesaving protections, we need leaders like Justin in Congress who refuse to accept that gun violence is the cost of living in America,” Brown continued.
Brady PAC also endorsed educator and child advocate Katy Padilla Stout (TX-23), who is running to represent a congressional district that includes Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two educators were murdered at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022. Padilla Stout is running against a gun extremist whose online content imitates Nazis and who mocked veterans who die by firearm suicide. She has publicly said, “We owe it to [our children] to remove the politics from this issue, come together as Americans, and solve it once and for all.”
“The families of Uvalde, and every community in America that has experienced excruciating and preventable loss by gun violence, deserves representation in Congress that values children’s lives over gun industry talking points. Katy Padilla Stout understands that leadership means preventing tragedy before it begins, not weaponizing hate and division for personal gain,” Brown said.
“These six Brady PAC endorsed candidates are prepared to turn public consensus on common-sense gun violence prevention policies into action. The movement to end America’s gun violence crisis has never been stronger. It is powered by parents, survivors, educators, veterans, faith leaders, and Americans of all backgrounds who refuse to accept the status quo. Justin J. Pearson, Sarah Trone Garriott, Christina Hines, Paige Cognetti, Katy Padilla Stout, and Hilda Solis embody that movement, and Brady PAC is proud to stand with them as they fight for the safety we deserve,” Brown continued.
Brady PAC will mobilize grassroots supporters and make strategic investments in congressional and state races this cycle.
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Founded thanks to the leadership of Republicans Jim and Sarah Brady, Brady PAC elects
gun violence prevention leaders up and down the ballot who will enact life-saving policies and
hold the gun industry accountable. It upholds the ideals championed by its partner Brady,
the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization.
