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An Overview Of The NRA Nominees

September 30, 2026 by 0 Comments

I have digging into the report from the Nominating Committee and the 27 nominees that they reported out. Using LinkedIn, Google, and other sources, I have been able to put together a high level overview of the candidates. Many candidates touch on multiple categories.

I am sure as we get closer to the election that I and others will start doing more of deep dive on all the individuals on the ballot including those who made it by petition. Speaking of which, if you haven’t signed the petitions of these candidates and you are a voting member, do so now!

The first breakdown is by incumbency, past service, and meeting the Final Judgment criteria for “New Qualified Candidates.” The last means they are new with no service on the Board, their service on the Board was post 2022, or that they served only one term prior to 2022.

  • 11 Incumbents
  • 2 Prior Board Service
  • 16 Not Currently Serving as Directors
  • 22 Meet Final Judgment criteria of “New Qualified Candidates”

The next breakdown is by demographics.

  • 23 Men
  • 4 Women
  • 2 Minorities
  • 2 Age 30 or Under (maybe)

My final breakdown is by their background. In this breakdown most candidates will hit multiple categories.

  • 7 Business (Other than Financial Services)
  • 3 Financial Services
  • 3 Prior NRA Employee (ILA or Field Director)
  • 2 Law Enforcement
  • 6 Military Service
  • 6 Lobbyists
  • 4 Trained in Engineering
  • 2 Information Technology
  • 5 Attorneys (apparently only one still in practice other than lobbying or finance)
  • 4 Prior or Current Non-Elected Government Service
  • 4 Held Elected Office
  • 1 Public Relations
  • 3 President or Exec Director of State Association
  • 2 Competitors
  • 2 Primarily 2A Activists

This is only a thumbnail sketch of the candidates from the Nominating Committee and it comes from what I gathered independently. I did not use AI to generate this as I prefer to do my own digging.

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Petition Deadline Is In Two Weeks

September 29, 2026 by 2 Comments

The deadline for candidates to have all their signatures into the NRA Secretary’s Office is in two weeks. While the Nominating Committee nominated 27 individuals, there are many more that can appear on the ballot if they have enough signatures. To qualify in this election cycle, a candidate needs to submit 285 valid signatures from voting members of the NRA.

I am strongly of the opinion that the more qualified candidates who appear on the ballot, the better. Choice is good and more choices are even better. I won’t criticize the Nominating Committee for their choices or for only nominating 27 individuals for the 26 open spots (25 three year terms plus the one year 76th director term).

Everyone of the petition candidates below has proven his or her qualifications by recent or current service on the NRA Board of Directors, has served on a NRA committee, or has fought the fight for the 2A at the highest levels. Some have done all of the above. I have omitted the petitions of those who I previously posted if they were nominated by the committee or have removed their name from consideration.

Phil Journey

Phil’s Petition Link: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/fdfb4ab4-a440-44b5-950e-5d2ee74da3ea

Maria Heil

Maria’s Petition Link: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/11542b00-6b13-48ee-ad8b-d432c4ba2927

Terri Townsend

Terri’s Petition Link: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/2f4d9273-96e3-4726-83ca-ea020364df4b

Todd Vandermyde

Todd’s Petition Link: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/1aaf6d83-59ab-4359-8155-78ebc00caa63

David Mitten

David’s Petition Link:  https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/761a1fe8-b495-489f-a92b-8870b45a8aa0

Wade Callender

Wade’s Petition Link:  https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/925021a2-ed4b-480c-bd9c-1f4b798c0e85

Dennis Fusaro

Dennis’ Petition Link: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/df266476-4cbe-4fcb-a7f7-3acc8e21c669

If you have already signed these candidates’ petitions, thanks and would you please pass them on to fellow voting members. If you haven’t, please take a few minutes and sign all of these petitions. You are only giving them an opportunity to be on the ballot. This is not a final vote for a candidate. That said, these are all good candidates who would bring a lot of strengths to the Board.

If you know of a candidate running by petition that is not on this list, please put their name and petition link in the comments section.

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Ruger Wins Trademark Dispute With FN

September 28, 2026 by 0 Comments

FN Herstal SA and FN America LLC filed a trademark dispute case against Sturm, Ruger in US District Court in North Carolina about 2 1/2 years ago. The dispute was over whether Ruger’s SFAR rifle, its name, and its advertising infringed upon FN’s trademark for the SCAR line of rifles.

This past Friday, US District Court Judge David Bragdon said that Ruger did not violate FN’s trademark. He found for Ruger granting their motion for summary judgment and denied FN’s motion for partial summary motion. He additionally denied as moot FN’s attempt to exclude the expert testimony of Ashley Hlebinsky and W. Todd Schoettelkotte on behalf of Ruger.

Judge Bragdon’s core holding was that there was no likelihood confusion on the part of consumers. He applied the Fourth Circuit’s nine-factor test which included factors such as similarity of marks, intent, and actual confusion on the part of buyers.

In the marketplace, the SCAR and SFAR marks are different in sight, sound, and meaning.


First, the SCAR and SFAR marks are different in sight. SCAR is an English word understood by almost all Americans to mean a mark left on the body after an injury or burn. SFAR is not an English word and means nothing outside of its acronym. This difference makes it easy to distinguish between the two. It is not likely that someone would see SFAR and think it was the same thing as SCAR.

In balancing the factors, the court emphasized that mark similarity, intent, and actual confusion are among the most important. Even assuming the SCAR mark is strong, the clear dissimilarity of the marks, absence of intent, and lack of actual confusion compelled the conclusion that there was no likelihood of confusion as a matter of law.

In oral arguments, attorneys for FN acknowledged that losing on the trademark claim would likely dispose of their other claims which rested on a likelihood of confusion analysis. Thus, when Judge Bragdon found for Ruger on the trademark violation issue, he dismissed the remainder of FN’s partial claims for summary judgment.

The full 22-page decision is below. It is interesting to note the judge included photos of both firearms in his decision along with closeups of the markings.

FN v Ruger final judgmentDownload

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NRA Gun Bus Is Coming To North Carolina

September 26, 2026 by 0 Comments

The powers that be in NRA-ILA had the idea to buy a RV from Facebook Marketplace, wrap it in NRA and sponsors’ logos, and drive it around the USA stopping in states where there are crucial elections. Not only will they generate free media exposure but the bus is essentially paid for with the sponsors’ donations. Additionally, it is a great way to connect with NRA members, supporters, and, most importantly, voters before the midterm elections. Many pro-2A candidates will be making appearances in conjunction with the bus tour. I have heard that Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) who is running for governor in Wisconsin appeared at one of the earlier stops literally the day after he survived a plane crash into a lake!

North Carolina is one of the battleground states in which the NRA Gun Bus will be making stops. There will be stops across the state from east to west and in between. They will start out in Vass at Ed’s Gun Shop on October 5th, detour up to Virginia for an additional event there, then back to Rocky Mount on the 8th, tailgate at the Rice v. ECU game on Saturday the 10th, and finish up in Whittier on Monday the 12th.

https://www.nraila.org/gunbus/nra-gun-bus-2a-day-at-eds-gun-shop

https://www.nraila.org/gunbus/nra-gun-bus-2a-day-at-enc-indoor-shooting-range

https://www.nraila.org/gunbus/rice-owls-v-east-carolina-tailgate

https://www.nraila.org/gunbus/nra-gun-bus-2a-day-at-outpost-mountain-outfitters

I plan to attend the stop in Vass on Monday, October 5th, and then again in Whittier on Monday, October 12th. I am very pleased that the Gun Bus is coming to Western North Carolina as we have a very competitive race in the 11th District between a “nepo baby” Democrat and a staunchly pro-2A Republican woman.

In the links above, please RSVP if you plan to attend any of the events. It isn’t required but does help the organizers plan. I know some of my fellow NRA directors from North Carolina do plan to attend some of these events.

For my friends in the other Carolina, the NRA Gun Bus will be at a tailgate in Columbia on Saturday, October 3rd, for the Kentucky v. South Carolina football game.

Some photos from one of the earlier stops in Montana and Iowa.

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Gun Rights Policy Conference 2026

September 25, 2026 by 0 Comments

The Gun Rights Policy Conference aka GRPC is being held this weekend in Irving, Texas. The event will be at the Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport hotel which is just north of the DFW Airport. This annual event is co-sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

I have attended most GRPCs since 2010 when it was held in Burlingame, California. Unfortunately, this year I will be attending by listening in on the Livestream. I just couldn’t make my schedule work this year which disappoints me. I’m disappointed given the number of great speakers ranging from keynote speaker Judge Roger Benitez to Cam Edwards to SAF President Massad Ayoob. Also speaking will be Barry Arrington who I met just this past week in DC. He heads the Second Amendment Section of the Department of Justice and it will be interesting to hear what he can share publicly.

For those who can’t make the event in-person, the Saturday and Sunday GRPC 2026 sessions will be livestreamed on SAF’s YouTube channel beginning at 8 a.m. (CST) on Saturday and 9 a.m. (CST) on Sunday. You can also view via the livestream links below or find them on SAF’s social media channels.

Saturday session livestream link

Sunday session livestream link

If you are in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex this weekend, GRPC is free of charge. While pre-registration is always encouraged, I do believe you can register at the door.

The full program is below:

GRPC-Agenda-2026Download
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Nominees For 2027 NRA Board Election

September 23, 2026 by 0 Comments

The Nominating Committee released their report and list of nominees for the 2027 NRA Board of Directors. My first glance at the list is that there are some well known names and a great number of unknowns. By my count, only 11 sitting directors were re-nominated. This means that directors like Maria Heil, Phil Journey, Todd Vandermyde, and Dennis Fusaro will only qualify for the ballot if they receive enough petition signatures. As of this past weekend, only Todd had qualified. I would still urge signing the petitions of those running by petition that did not get a nomination from the committee.

I have very mixed feelings about this list of nominees. I understand the committee can only work with whom they were given and the qualifications the Board is seeking. It is a time consuming and thankless job for which I thank the members of the committee.

I will have more as I dig deeper into the list. As things stand now, I will be urging a bullet vote and I doubt I will have nearly the number of endorsements that I offered for the 2026 election.

For now, the complete list of 27 nominees is below.

Nominating Committee Report for the 2027 ballotDownload
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Petitions For Phil Journey And Maria Heil

September 22, 2026 by 0 Comments

These are the final two petition candidates that I am posting who need your signatures. They are Judge Phil Journey and Maria Heil. They were left in limbo when the Nominating Committee recessed due to two pending bylaw amendments. The committee will meet again tomorrow to make the final nominations.

Judge Journey was one of the original Four for Reform and was elected in the top 5 in 2024. Phil was shunned by the old board when he came out for reform during the NRA’s bankruptcy trial and demanded an independent examiner. When I say shunned, I mean board members would get up from the table when Phil sat down. For all he has done in the past and will in the future, he deserves to be on this year’s ballot.

Phil Journey

Petition Link: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/fdfb4ab4-a440-44b5-950e-5d2ee74da3ea

Likewise, Maria Heil of New Freedom, PA fought for reform inside the NRA. She was one of the directors who helped engineer the changes in leadership wrought at the 2024 Board meeting and has continue to push for reform since then. She had been a member of the NRA Foundation Board of Trustees but was pushed out when she objected to their move to become self-perpetuating. This unilateral move by the Foundation is what eventually lead to the lawsuits currently going on. Maria was one of the people whom I met in my first Board meeting that I left feeling really glad she was on the Board of Directors.

Maria retired this spring as the Deputy Clerk of Courts for York County, PA.

Maria Heil

Petition Link: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/11542b00-6b13-48ee-ad8b-d432c4ba2927

Two reminders: Only voting members can sign these petitions and the deadline for doing so is October 13th.

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NRA September Board Meeting (Revised)

September 15, 2026 by 3 Comments

The National Rifle Association’s Board of Directors meets in person three times a year. The spring meeting is on the Monday after the NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibition, the fall meeting is in September, and the winter meeting is in January. Members of the NRA are always welcome to attend these meetings. Of course, if the Board goes into Executive Session, you will be asked to step outside the room while that goes on.

Our September meeting including committee meetings will start on Wednesday, September 16th and continue through Saturday, September 19th at the DoubleTree by Hilton Washington Dulles Airport. The hotel is located at 13869 Park Center Drive in Herndon, VA which is about five miles from the airport. (Corrected the address as there are two Doubtree Hotels near Dulles).

I personally will have committee meetings on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as the Audit, Membership, and Legislative Policy Committees will meet on those days respectively. NRA members can attend committee meetings but, like with the Board of Director’s meeting, will need to leave if and when the committee goes into executive session. Committees like Audit, Finance, and Legal Affairs probably will spend a good part of their meetings in such sessions due to the confidential subjects being discussed.

If you live in the Metro DC area or within a reasonable driving distance, I would encourage you to attend. After all, it is your NRA.

The full schedule is below. This is the revised schedule with new room locations.

Fall 2026 BOD schedule (1)Download
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Petition Deadline For NRA Candidates Is 28 Days

September 15, 2026 by 1 Comment

The window closes for NRA petition candidates to get all of their signatures in to the Office of the Secretary on October 13th. That is hard deadline and there is no “natural disaster”, “act of God”, or other exception to that. Petition candidates need 285 valid signatures to be placed on the ballot.

A valid signature is one from a Life Member or from an Annual Member with five or more years of continuous, unbroken membership. The online signature process, to the best of my knowledge, will validate that the signer is a valid signer.

I have spoken with a number of petition candidates. Many are close but have hit a plateau and need help getting to the final number. Below are links to my earlier posts on petition candidates. I support as many people being on the ballot as possible. Choice is good and petition candidates are there because you put them there. It is why I was so determined to be doubly nominated in 2025 when I ran for the Board. No offense to the Nominating Committee but it was your signature on my petition that ultimately mattered the most to me.

Just as importantly, it shows compliance with Judge Cohen’s Final Judgment which mandated the online petition process but also urged, in so many words, the NRA to find new candidates. While the latter is the responsibility of the Nominating Committee, you as a voting member can help that process by signing these candidates’ petitions. With one exception, every candidate whose petition is below would be a “New Qualified Candidate.”

Edie Fleeman, Terri Townsend, and Chris Rakyta

Three More NRA Petition Candidates

Todd Vandermyde, David Mitten, Mark Shuell, and Chuck Cunningham

Petitions For The 2027 NRA Ballot (Repost)

Wade Callender

NRA Petition Candidate Needs Your Help

Dennis Fusaro

Petition Candidate Needs Signatures

Chuck Rowe

Another NRA Petition Candidate

I want to be clear. Each and every one of these candidates deserves to be on the ballot. Since we don’t know who the Nominating Committee will ultimately nominate, I will reserve my final endorsement on actually voting for Candidate X or Candidate Y until I see the full slate.

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I Haven’t Forgotten (Repost)

September 11, 2026 by 2 Comments

(I first posted this three years ago on the 22nd anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I still remember and hope to remember until my dying days.)

There are certain events that are embedded in your memory and never forgotten. For me, these include the assassination of President Kennedy when I was in 1st Grade and the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

The first plane had already hit the North Tower when I arrived at Swain County Hospital in Bryson City, North Carolina. My company provided the retirement plan for the hospital and I was there on my bi-weekly service visit. I remember watching the events unfold on a small TV in an unused patient room along with the hospital CEO and his secretary. Suffice it to say, no work got done that morning.

I remember the sadness I felt for my friend Lisa whose brother worked for Aon on the 102nd Floor of the South Tower. She related how he had called her mother to tell her goodbye as he knew he wasn’t getting out.

I remember the relief I felt on hearing that my second cousin Kevin McEntrye, a fire fighter with the FDNY, had gone off duty earlier that morning and was home when the first tower was hit. He was a hazardous materials specialist and worked non-stop for days afterwards in the recovery efforts. He took an early medical retirement due to the respiratory issues caused by exposure to the toxic materials at Ground Zero.

I remember the bravery of the passengers on Flight 93 who fought back against the terrorists saving more lives.

I remember how we as a nation came together as one. Sadly, it didn’t last long enough.

I just remember.