Mucarsel-Powell, Who Lost Father To Gun Violence, Denounces Tone-Deaf Attack Ad Featuring Man Pointing Gun

MIAMI – Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, the Democratic candidate for Congress in Florida’s 26th Congressional District, denounced the latest shameful attack against her placed on television recently on behalf of her opponent, Republican Carlos Curbelo. The ad features an image of a man pointing a gun at the camera, a shameful and tone-deaf attack against a candidate whose own father was slain by a criminal with a gun.

“This is a reprehensible attack on Debbie and her family, especially when her father was killed at gunpoint on a day like today 23 years ago,” said Melvin Félix, spokesman for the campaign. “It’s disgusting that Republicans and Carlos Curbelo are now using violent images on television to keep spreading false narratives and distracting from Curbelo’s shameful record in Washington.”

Debbie’s father was killed by a criminal in Ecuador on October 18, 1995.

Just this week, Mucarsel-Powell released an ad in honor of her father, in which she talks about how she never got to say goodbye to him.

“I never said goodbye. My kids never met their grandfather. And this is the last photo I took with my father because he was killed by a criminal with a gun,” Mucarsel-Powell says in the ad. “So when I tell you I’ll stand up to the NRA to protect our community, you can believe me.”

The ad, titled “Photo,” is the second ad that mentions Debbie’s father; earlier this year, she released one titled “October 18th.”

Debbie is committed to making sure other Americans don’t have to say goodbye to a loved one with a photo. That’s why she’s committed to enacting common-sense gun reform policies, including universal background checks, a ban on military-style assault weapons, and closing the gun show loophole.

She has criticized Congressman Curbelo for taking thousands of dollars from the NRA, and for voting to make it easier for people with mental illnesses to purchase guns.

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