Thread by @HeidiNBC

NEW to @NBCNews: Gabby Giffords backs Biden ahead of Arizona primary

nbcnews.com/politics/meet-… via @NBCNews

The former AZ lawmaker is a high-profile figure and a leading voice on gun control.

“Biden is the choice for a true gun safety president,” Giffords said in a statement to NBC.

(Giffords could undergird Biden’s momentum coming off his strong showings in Tuesday's primaries)

Peter Ambler, exec dir of the Giffords PAC said Biden is the candidate most likely to prioritize new gun laws.

Biden has made addressing gun violence “an important part of his campaign” and has a long record, including backing the 1994 assault weapons ban, said Ambler.

“What this comes down to is that Gabby and the Giffords org. believe once Joe Biden is elected president we can trust him to stand with millions of Americans to take immediate action on gun safety,” Ambler told NBC. “It’s not just about positions, it’s about priorities,” he said.

The two worked closely in the aftermath of the 2012 school shooting in Newtown. 2 years later, they sat together off the Senate floor as a bill Giffords had fought hard for to expand background checks failed by five votes.

“Gabby was obviously distraught and angry and

the vice president was angry too,” said Ambler.

“But he said something that turned out to be very true, which was ‘we might be pissed as hell today but once the American people see their Congress is unwilling to take on the gun lobby and protect us …

They’re gonna be really angry too and that could be a catalytic moment for your movement.”

Since then, her group has gained millions of new members and many gun safety groups have arisen, including Moms Demand Action and March for Our Lives.