The national organization that has called for strict gun laws on Wednesday endorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado for a full term.

The group Giffords was founded by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords following a 2011 assassination attempt.

"Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority," Hochul said. "I am proud of the nation-leading action we've taken to combat gun violence and keep dangerous weapons off our streets. It’s an honor to receive this endorsement from Giffords, and I look forward to working together to push for stronger gun safety laws nationwide."

The endorsement for the Democratic ticket in New York comes after Hochul and state lawmakers agreed to a package of gun law changes earlier this summer in the wake of a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket. Key to those measures is a new law changing the minimum age to possess a semiautomatic rifle from 18 to 21.

Lawmakers and Hochul also approved an expansion of the state's red flag law, meant to keep guns away from those deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. And New York made changes to its conceal carry law for firearms after the Supreme Court struck down a century-old law.

Hochul in recent months has also touted efforts to remove illegal guns from the streets and halt the flow of firearms into New York from other states.

“New York has some of the strongest gun laws in the country, but more than 1,000 New Yorkers still died at the hands of a gun in 2020 – and in May, we saw 10 innocent lives taken too soon in an act of senseless hate in Buffalo,” Giffords said. “Gov. Hochul and Lt. Gov. Delgado have shown great leadership in office and in the face of tragedy, they acted immediately to strengthen their state’s gun laws."