Gun reform advocates embrace a new tactic: running for office

After losing her son to gun violence, Shaundelle Brooks knew she had to do something big.

Pinpointing the moments that led them to run for office comes easily to these candidates.

For those who have lost loved ones, championing gun reform has served as a way to carry grief.

Brooks says gun violence survivors and their loved ones are in a unique position to convince others of the pressing need for reform.

That same vision is driving progressive groups to find more candidates who are willing to run for office on gun violence platforms. Last February, nearly 50 new candidates gathered in Las Vegas with Demand a Seat, an initiative to train gun safety advocates to run for office and work on campaigns offered by advocacy organization Everytown for Gun Safety. At the four-day boot camp, participants received mentorship from veteran politicians, training in the fundamentals of campaign building and guidance in how to effectively elevate a gun safety platform.

For her, that disconnect speaks to the importance of having youth voices in the movement.

In Nashville, Brooks says that when the the race catches up with her, she remembers why she is running in the first place.