Hockley, Barden Out of 5th District Race

NEWTOWN, CT - The Newtown parents who lost children in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary and went on to become among the country's best-known gun control advocates are backing away from their congressional bids. Nicole Hockley and Mark Barden, who had teased a run for Congress in Connecticut’s Fifth District, today announced they would not run.

Barden and Hockley are the founders of Sandy Hook Promise, a national non-profit organization that provides educational programs on gun violence and gun control. Barden has appeared before Congress and met with presidents Obama and Trump to advocate for stricter gun policies.

In a joint statement Friday afternoon, the pair cited their surviving school-age children for their decision.

Had they opted to run, they had made it known that only one would be on the ballot, supported by the other. Fifth District politics got lit on the front burner after U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty declared she would not seek re-election amidst allegations she had mishandled a sex abuse scandal involving former staffers.