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Bloomberg gun control group announces endorsements

Everytown for Gun Safety announced its first endorsements and launched an ad campaign featuring the parents of children slain by gun violence.

By Frances Burns
Peter Reid holds a photo of his daughter Mary, who was killed in the Virginia Tech shootings, as he speaks at a press conference on gun violence and urging the Senate to take up gun control legislation held by the Everytown for Gun Safety group, in Washington, D.C. UPI/Kevin Dietsch
Peter Reid holds a photo of his daughter Mary, who was killed in the Virginia Tech shootings, as he speaks at a press conference on gun violence and urging the Senate to take up gun control legislation held by the Everytown for Gun Safety group, in Washington, D.C. UPI/Kevin Dietsch | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The gun control group backed by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched ad campaigns Tuesday in Oregon and Illinois.

Everytown for Gun Safety also announced endorsements in state and congressional races. Its candidates include five Democratic governors seeking new terms and two Democratic gubernatorial candidates. In addition, the group is backing 17 candidates in Senate races, all Democrats except Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, one of four Republicans who voted for expanded background checks.

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One ad features Nate Pendleton, whose daughter Hadiya was shot last year a few days after she returned to Chicago from performing at President Obama's inauguration with her high school band and drill team.

"It hurts every day," Pendleton says in the ad. "Get yourself involved with your politicians. We have the power to vote them in. We have the power to vote them out."

Everytown has also mounted a Gun Sense Voter road show that is scheduled to visit Oregon, California, Illinois, Minnesota, Maine, Maryland, Connecticut and Washington State, where voters will be deciding on expanding background checks. The group has also contributed $1 million to the Washington effort.

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Alan Gottlieb, head of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Bellevue, Wash., described Bloomberg as a billionaire trying to manipulate voters.

"He doesn't live here. He doesn't vote here, but he's spending over $1 million to determine what Washington laws are going to be," Gottlieb said. "He's trying to buy his agenda, and a lot of Washington voters are concerned."

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