Gabby Giffords Calls on Christie To Tap Pro-Gun Control Senator

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Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) launched an email campaign on Wednesday to lobby New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) to appoint a pro-gun control replacement for the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), according to Capital New York.

Giffords’ pro-gun control PAC, Americans for Responsible Solutions, blasted out an email to supporters on Wednesday that included a link to a petition calling on Christie to honor Lautenberg’s pro-gun control legacy by appointing an interim senator who supports expanding background checks on gun purchases. 

“Sen. Lautenberg cannot be replaced. However, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie must now select a successor,” Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, wrote in the email republished on Capital New York. “And he should pick one who supports expanding background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the deranged.”

Christie announced on Tuesday that he’ll fill Lautenberg’s seat with a special general election on Oct. 16. Lautenberg, 89, passed away on Monday from complications caused by pneumonia.

Giffords has been a vocal advocate for expanding gun control legislation since she resigned from Congress after suffering a gunshot wound to the head in a 2011 shooting in Tucson, Ariz.

This post has been updated.

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