Our blind raters scored the candidates on their response to: What legislation would you introduce or support to end gun violence?

Beth Ellen Adubato

No regular person needs an assault weapon. No regular person needs an automatic weapon. You want to hunt deer for food? Well, if you shoot a deer with an assault weapon, you won’t be able to eat that deer. When someone orders more than five guns to the same address over a short period of time, the authorities should be alerted. Children should never be able to access guns without parental guidance. Background checks should be extensive. People with mental illness should not be allowed to purchase a gun. No domestic abuser should ever be able to purchase again. Notice I did not say “convicted” domestic abuser? They are hardly ever convicted. So, my stance would be if you have been arrested three times for domestic violence–even if it never goes to court–you lose your right to own a gun…forever. When I was researching and teaching in Belgium for eight months, I observed families walking around Brussels. If a car backfired or a loud bang came from a construction site, nobody hit the ground. They just continued walking and chatting and riding their bikes and kicking a ball. Imagine that…

Brian Varela

I’ll fight for a comprehensive approach to gun violence prevention, starting with universal background checks to close the private sale, gun show, and online loopholes that let dangerous people bypass the system. I support the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 and a ban on high-capacity magazines. I’m a strong supporter of Ethan’s Law for federal safe storage requirements; 76 percent of school shooters get their guns from a family member’s home. And here’s something most people don’t know: in most states, you can be placed on an emergency psychiatric hold for being a danger to yourself or others, and the moment you’re released, you can legally buy a gun. Only five states restrict gun purchases after emergency mental health hospitalizations. We need to close that gap.  

I support a federal extreme risk protection order law that empowers families and law enforcement to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone in crisis. Research shows these laws prevent suicides and mass shootings. The 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was a step forward, but it wasn’t nearly enough. We need leaders willing to stand up to the gun lobby and fight for the safety of our kids and communities.

Megan O’Rourke

  1. Eliminate background check loopholes for private sales and gun shows 
  2. Penalize permit holders when firearms are accessed by unauthorized individuals, including household minors 
  3. Federally mandate gun safety and use training and psychiatric evaluation prior to purchasing firearms

Michael Roth

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. In Congress, I would fight for common sense gun legislation and to crack down on the hate that is fueling it.  

  • Pass a federal assault weapons ban 
  • Enact a federal red flag law to remove guns from people who pose a danger to themselves or others 
  • Pass safe storage laws to keep guns out of the hands of kids and prevent tragic, preventable shootings
  • Ban untraceable firearms that have no place in our communities 
  • Repeal protections that grant the firearms industry immunity from liability
  • Combat hate and rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism by funding educational programming, strengthening national hate crime laws and enforcement, and ensuring houses of worship have access to security funding and resources
  • Regulate social media and AI companies to make them accountable for harmful, abusive, and hateful content

Rebecca Bennett

I am a supporter of the 2nd Amendment and common sense gun control.  No civilian needs a magazine that holds 50 bullets or military style assault weapons which is why we need to finally pass meaningful gun safety reform and protection.

Tina Shah

Everyone should feel safe in their school, workplace, place of worship, and community. The Trump Administration has cut funding for community policing, leaving New Jersey to scramble for stopgaps to keep us safe.   

Preventing gun deaths and keeping our communities safe with the resources they need go hand-in-hand. And in Congress, I will work to reduce crime, prevent gun violence, and protect our community by:   

  1. Restoring funding that Trump’s Department of Justice cut from community policing, training, victims’ services, and violence intervention programs. 
  2. Banning assault weapons – weapons of war – from civilian use. We need common sense reform, not “thoughts and prayers.” 
  3. Investing in mental health services so that individuals in crisis can get the care they need. 
  4. Mandating that law enforcement officials show their identity unmasked and provide their name and badge. 
  5. Promoting programs for parole officers to mentor nonviolent youth offenders; these programs have saved our children, saved taxpayer dollars, and reduced crime across the country.