Abigail Spanberger. Mikie Sherrill. Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court. Led by powerful students and young people like you, we turned a national spotlight on an off-year election. And together, we, the people, have spoken: We want leaders who keep us safe, not policies that undermine our safety.
Students Demand Action volunteers alone made 32,200 total voter contacts this election cycle—and that hard work paid off.
2025 Election Highlights
In New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, we elected (and defended) our gun sense majorities in state legislatures, the courts, and governors’ mansions.
- In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger made history as the first woman to be elected to the Governor’s office. (Bonus: She’s also the first Moms Demand Action volunteer elected to a governorship!) Along with Governor-elect Spanberger, all 13 Moms Demand Action volunteers running for the Virginia House of Delegates won. Moms Demand Action volunteers will make up 20% of the Democratic Caucus in the House, paving the way for progress on gun safety in the state.
- In New Jersey, voters sent a clear message that safety, responsibility, and community are winning values when they elected Mikie Sherrill to be the next governor of the Garden State.
- In Pennsylvania, three Supreme Court Justices won their retention elections to serve another 10-year term. Their re-election to the bench is a huge win for our movement!
- And in 23 states, over 100 of our Moms Demand Action volunteers demanded a seat and won at every level of office!
We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You
During the 2025 election cycle, over 250 Students Demand Action volunteers mobilized to support Gun Sense Candidates up and down the ballot.
- Students like you completed 335 voter contact shifts, making calls, sending texts, and knocking on doors to help reach voters with the information they needed to put their voices and votes behind gun safety.
- Our Students Demand Action Text Team sent over 13,000 texts to invite folks into key election events and help get out the vote
- Over 800 people from 45 states lent their support to key races in New Jersey and Virginia through phone banking, texting, sending postcards, and attending virtual events to get out the vote.
- More than 400 folks from across the country made over 80,000 voter contact dials through the Gun Sense Action Network’s weekly calls, house parties, and virtual events to get out the vote in Virginia and New Jersey.
Shoutout to Some of Our Election All-Stars
Students Demand Action volunteers hosted phone banks, road tripped to canvass for Gun Sense Candidates, and sent postcards to get out the vote. And we couldn’t let the moment pass without acknowledging the groups that made these off-year wins possible!
Phone Banking
The Springfield Community Students Demand Action group, led by Briahnee C. and Mayron B., made 337 calls during one phone bank for Gun Sense Candidates in New Jersey! Denver School of the Arts in Colorado also hosted a phone bank in a box.
Aryana T. and Nadia R., leaders of the Union County Community Students Demand Action group, hosted several community phone banks for us on Zoom. And our Northeastern University (MA) group members had nearly 270 answered calls from their voter dials!
Special shout-out to the following Students Demand Action groups, which also hosted phone banks for our Gun Sense Candidates in Virginia and New Jersey:
- Occidental College
- University of Alabama
- St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts
- Riverdale Country Day School
- Northeastern University
- Northview HS (GA)
- University of Vermont
- Silver Creek HS (CO)
- Denver East High School
- University of Florida
- Baylor University
- Decatur High School (GA)
- University of Texas, Austin
- Sandia HS (NM)
- Liberty HS (MO)
- Orlando Science HS (FL)
- Hume Fogg High School in TN
- Collegiate School (NY)
- Florida A&M University
- Morehouse College
- Northwestern University
- North Carolina A&T
Canvassing
Volunteers with the George Mason University Students Demand Action group partnered with the Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action to canvass in Richmond, Virginia. George Mason University group leader Vaishnavi M. also did some additional canvassing throughout the election cycle.
The Georgetown University Students Demand Action group took its support for gun sense on the road. Students drove to Charlottesville, Virginia, to canvass in support of Abigail Spanberger.
Other Events
Hattie F., the leader of the First Colonial Beach Students Demand Action Group (VA), attended multiple weekend of action events.
Additionally, the University of Virginia Students Demand Action group led by Molly S. tabled on its campus as a get-out-the-vote effort the day before Election Day.
Titans Demand Action
Volunteers with Alexandria City (VA) High School’s “Titans Demand Action” group pulled out all the stops this election cycle. Group leader Ruby G. canvassed with Moms Demand Action volunteers in Virginia to get out the vote for Abigail Spanberger and other Gun Sense Candidates. The group also organized a phone bank and a postcard event. They sent out postcards to 100 Virginia voters to urge them to turn out at the polls during early voting and on Election Day!
We Don’t Sit Out Elections, We Win Them!
Students like you made a big difference this election cycle—and your work resulted in major wins for the gun safety movement in 2025. Whether you knocked on doors, made calls, or talked to your friends and family about voting, thank you.
Now, we’re turning our focus to the 2026 midterm elections, and we’re ready to keep the winning energy going. Join Students Demand Action today to be part of the fight for a future free from violence!
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