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(The Center Square) - A national gun safety organization is backing candidates in several races in Pennsylvania ahead of the 2026 midterm election, which includes an $850,000 advertising investment into a closely watched U.S. House race.
Led by former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, the Giffords PAC has endorsed nine candidates in Pennsylvania this cycle.
The organization is supporting Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro in his bid for a second term over Republican challenger Stacy Garrity, the state's Treasurer.
"Governor Josh Shapiro has been a strong champion for Pennsylvania families when it comes to confronting gun violence," Giffords said. "From his time as attorney general, when he worked with local law enforcement to tackle the spread of ghost guns, to his work as governor, when he reestablished the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and secured funding for community violence intervention, Governor Shapiro has consistently fought to keep Pennsylvanians safe."
"Since he took office, gun violence in the Keystone State is down, gun deaths are down and violent crime is down," she added. "GIFFORDS is proud to endorse Governor Shapiro's reelection, and I know that with his continued leadership, Pennsylvania will be a safer place for all."
The National Rifle Association has endorsed Garrity in the race for governor, while assigning a failing grade to Shapiro's governing record.
And for the U.S. House, the committee has backed eight candidates.
"Pennsylvania is crucial to securing a gun safety majority in the House and ensuring voters are engaged leading up to 2028," Chris Harris, Vice President of Communications for Giffords PAC, said to The Center Square.
As of Thursday, the PAC's biggest investment in the state is in the race for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, supporting Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat, in her bid to unseat freshman GOP U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan.
"Rob Bresnahan uses his time in Washington to help one person -- himself. He spends his time trading stocks and pocketing gun lobby campaign cash, while voting to make it easier for criminals to access guns and put people in danger," said GIFFORDS PAC Executive Director Emma Brown. "Paige Cognetti will always put Northeast Pennsylvania families first and work to keep communities safe. As mayor, she increased support for law enforcement and reduced crime -- that's the kind of leadership we need in Washington."
The $850,000 investment in the race in northeast Pennsylvania is part of the PAC's $10 million commitment to backing candidates it describes as gun safety champions.
Thus far, the PAC has released two ads criticizing Bresnahan. Both attack the freshman congressman for accepting thousands in campaign donations "from the gun lobby," and voting "for weaker gun laws."
The first ad, titled "Corrupt," was released last week, while the second ad, labeled "Hard Corner” was announced on Wednesday.
Bresnahan's campaign responded to the ad and said gun owners will be backing his bid for a second term.
“Paige Cognetti, who hasn’t earned a single endorsement from a police union in her bid for Congress, said she’d love a world where police and citizens don’t carry guns, and then cut Scranton police ammunition funding in half while gang violence and violent crime surged," said Peter Brath, campaign manager for Bresnahan, to The Center Square. "Now, a national gun-control group that wants to register the guns NEPA hunters and families already own is trying to bail her out from her own positions, and the gun owners here will see right through it.”
The reference to Cognetti's comments on how she'd "love a world where police don't have firearms" and that "citizens don't carry them either" were made by her during a virtual town hall in June 2020.
The Cognetti campaign pushed back on Bresnahan's comments, claiming that the GOP incumbent was "lying" about her record "because he knows he can't stand on his own."
"The facts are clear: FBI and state crime statistics show that violent crime is down under Paige's leadership, and she has poured more than $5 million into local law enforcement and added five new officers to Scranton's police force," Cognetti campaign spokesperson Emma Mustion said to The Center Square. "While Paige works to keep her community safe, Bresnahan has been stock trading in Congress and enriching himself while our community pays the price. That's the choice voters will have in this race."
Bresnahan has been endorsed by the NRA in the race and has an "A" grade from the group.
Bresnahan bested U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright by just over 6,000 votes in 2024, which was one of the closest races in Pennsylvania last cycle. The race this November is expected to be close, once again, with The Cook Political Report describing it as "toss-up."
Giffords PAC is also backing another Democratic candidate in a "toss-up" race: Janelle Stelson. She's attempting to unseat GOP U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, the former chair of the conservative U.S. House Freedom Caucus.
Like Bresnahan, Perry has an "A" grade from the NRA and received their endorsement.
Giffords PAC is also endorsing another closely watched U.S. House contest, although this time it’s for the Republican candidate: incumbent U.S. Rep Brian Fitzpatrick, who is defending his seat in the 1st Congressional District against Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, a Democrat.
Unlike his GOP counterparts, Fitzpatrick has an "F" rating from the NRA as the gun rights organization is not backing a candidate in the race for the district in the Philadelphia suburbs.
When asked by The Center Square if there were specific races the Giffords PAC views as the most important this cycle in Pennsylvania, they responded with the following:
"Federally, electing gun safety champions like Paige Cognetti in PA-08 and Janelle Stelson PA-10 is key to flipping the House this cycle," Harris said. "It's also important that voters in PA-01 send Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick back to Washington - he has been a key Republican voice in elevating gun violence prevention and finding ways to work across the aisle to advance bipartisan solutions in this space."
Fitzpatrick's race is also garnering attention outside of the Keystone State, although the Cook Political Report views him as the favorite, rating the race as "likely Republican."
The race for Pennsylvania's 7th U.S. House District, situated in the Lehigh Valley, is also expected to be a "toss-up." That contest is between GOP U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie and Democratic challenger Bob Brooks, a firefighters' union leader. Giffords PAC hasn't weighed in on that race with a formal endorsement, while the NRA is backing Mackenzie's bid for a second term.
Giffords PAC has also endorsed the following Democrats seeking reelection in the U.S. House: U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean, Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan, Summer Lee, and Mary Gay Scanlon. Those races are expected to be Democratic holds, according to national ratings outlets.
"Each of these endorsed candidates have demonstrated their commitment to fighting gun violence," Harris told The Center Square. "In particular, Reps. Scanlon and Dean have been leading voices on gun safety from their posts on the House Judiciary committee."
"GIFFORDS endorsed Congressman Fitzpatrick because he continues to put public safety over partisanship and has committed to working across the aisle to build a safer future for Pennsylvania families," he added.
As of now, they have not announced ads in other Pennsylvania districts.
If the candidates they support are successful, the Giffords PAC told The Center Square what sort of legislative reform they’d like to see at the state and federal level.
"With a gun safety majority in Congress, GIFFORDS will be fighting to pass universal background checks and red flag laws to help keep guns out of dangerous hands," Harris said. "In Pennsylvania, GIFFORDS will work with state leaders to strengthen background checks and ban ghost guns."
The NRA didn't tell The Center Square what kind of financial investments they were making in Pennsylvania this cycle, but they have taken their national Gun Bus Battleground tour to the state over the past few days.
"Over the next 36 days, Congresswoman Giffords and the GIFFORDS team will be criss-crossing the country to make sure that we are getting out the vote and showing up for gun safety champions up and down the ballot," Harris told The Center Square on Monday. "Plans are still coming together, but GIFFORDS will announce events with campaigns as we iron out the logistics of our final sprint to election day."