Dean Phillips Gets Nod From Gabrielle Giffords For Stance Toward NRA

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords endorsed Democrat Dean Phillips Wednesday in the race for Minnesota's 3rd congressional district.

In a statement, Giffords praised Phillips for his commitment to cut ties between Congress and special interests, particularly the gun lobby.

Phillips, a prominent Minnesota businessman, is running against Republican incumbent Erik Paulsen.

Recently, in the wake of the deadly Parkland school shooting, Phillips called on Paulsen to donate $20,000 in campaign contributions given to him by the NRA.

Giffords, a Democrat, is herself a victim of gun violence.

In 2011, she was shot in the head in an assassination attempt. Amid her recovery, she and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, started the gun safety organization called Giffords.

Recently, the organization launched a campaign aimed at electing candidate who were dedicated to changing gun laws.