After my son, Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, was shot and killed near UC Santa Barbara in May, I pledged to do everything I could to hold elected officials accountable for passing stronger gun laws.

If candidates for federal office want our votes, they have to make their positions clear on common-sense gun laws.

You can help by asking the candidates in your area where they stand on ten key solutions to gun violence in America. All they have to do is fill out the Gun Sense Voter Questionnaire.

Click here to watch my short message about the questionnaire — then ask the candidates in your area to fill out the Gun Sense Voter Questionnaire before the August 15 deadline.

We know where the public stands on common-sense gun laws. More than 90 percent of Americans support background checks on all gun sales.

Once we know where our candidates stand on these issues, we’ll combine that information with their prior statements, votes and co-sponsorships to mobilize Americans to support or oppose them at the ballot box this November and beyond.

But we can’t just assume candidates will respond unless we tell them to.

Click here to ask your candidates to fill out the questionnaire as soon as possible.

Together, we’re going to work to hold elected officials accountable — and it starts with making sure the folks running for office are up front about their positions on gun laws.

Thanks for taking action,

Richard Martinez

This week, President Obama will welcome 50 African leaders to the nation’s capital, as part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.

The three-day summit is the largest event that any U.S. president has held with African heads of state, and will build on the President’s trip to Africa in 2013.

National Security Advisor Susan Rice sat down to preview the summit, and explain what this means for both the United States as well as for the African nations attending this historic event.

Watch Susan Rice preview the summit, and find out more about this historic event.

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