Randy Luth

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2026 NRA Board Endorsements, Part 2

January 6, 2026 by 7 Comments

There are good people on the Board running for re-election and there are newcomers who need to be on the Board. This set of endorsements features two of each. The incumbents are Charlie Hiltuenen and Amanda Suffecool while the two newcomers are Huey Laugesen and Randy Luth.

Given the recent resignations from the Board, I have no doubt that they will be elected but I think it is important that they get three year terms. This will assure some continuity on the Board as we go forward with the necessary reforms.

Charlie Hiltunen

Charlie won the 76th Director spot in 2025 and most certainly needs to win a 3-year term. He is the chair of the Legislative Policy Committee and you could not ask for a better chair for that committee. His experience as a lawyer, lobbyist, and legislative counsel for over 40 years brings a lot to the table in that committee and serves as a valuable counterpoint to staff. More importantly, he is committed to reform. He provides answers to a lot of top questions on his campaign’s FAQ page. In addition to the NRA Board, Charlie is the president of the Indiana State Rifle & Pistol Association.

Charlie is a Hoosier by both education and upbringing. He brings that midwestern sensibility to what he does on the Board and in his professional life. I am proud to endorse him for a 3-year term on the Board of Directors.

Huey Laugesen

Huey is the Executive Director of the Colorado Shooting Sports Association. He is on the ballot by petition and I was happy to support his petition drive.

I serve on the Membership Committee with Huey and I am convinced he is someone who needs to be on the Board for a variety of reasons. First, he has successfully increased the membership of the CSSA by 170% in the last two years. His use of targeted mailings in that state should be used as a guide by the NRA.

Second, Huey is on the frontlines in the battle for the Second Amendment in Colorado. That state is a prime example of how a state can go from good to bad in a short time. His organization along with the Mountain States Legal Foundation is fighting back against Colorado’s permit to purchase scheme with a lawsuit in Federal court.

Finally, Huey brings youth to the Board and will help us find ways to attract Millennials and Gen Z’ers to the NRA. That said, Colorado State Representative Ava Flanell who I met at the Gun Rights Policy Conference said of Huey that he was “an old soul.” By that, she meant he was wise beyond his years.

Randy Luth

Randy has been in the firearms industry for a long time. He founded and then sold DPMS Panther Arms. He later started Luth-AR which is the current company he heads. The Nominating Committee set their priorities which included those from the firearms industry, those involved in competition, and those with financial experience. Randy brings those to the table in spades!

More importantly, Randy has been committed to NRA reform for a long time. He was one of the first in the firearms industry to call out publicly the grifting of Wayne and his cronies. He also called for new leadership and urged the firearms industry to withhold financial contributions until such time as it came about.

The bottom line is that Randy stood up when few in his position would. For that and many other reasons, Randy has my vote.

Amanda Suffecool

I was first introduced to Amanda at the SHOT Show in the mid 20-teens and we have been friends ever since. She and I were for a long time co-hosts of the Polite Society Podcast until Paul Lathrop decided to bring it to a close. I have appeared on her nationally syndicated Eye on the Target Radio show a number of times.

Amanda is currently chair of the NRA Media Committee which was the merger of the former Publications and Public Affairs Committee. However, she is much more than that. She is an engineer, a trainer, an activist, a shooter, and a fashionista. She worked as a manufacturing and quality engineer with multiple industrial companies until her retirement. Amanda is certified in multiple NRA training areas. As an activist, she has been a leader in Women for Gun Rights aka The DC Project as well as chair of the Portage County (Ohio) GOP party. She was a delegate to the 2024 RNC Convention. Oh, and that fashionista thing, if you haven’t been to one of her concealed carry fashion shows, you are missing out.

In 2023 when Amanda first ran and was elected to the NRA Board of Directors, I did not endorse her. It was a strategic thing as I felt an endorsement would hurt her chances of being elected given my outspoken criticism of the NRA. Indeed, I made no endorsements that year but I did vote for her. This year I am very happy to give Amanda my endorsement for another 3-year term. She, like Rob Beckman, is double nominated and that is a credit to her for seeking nomination both ways.

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More NRA Reform Candidates Need Your Signatures

July 13, 2025 by 8 Comments

Frank Tait has just published a list of reform candidates seeking signatures to be put on the 2026 NRA Board of Directors election ballot. Many were recruited by LtCol Robert Brown whose reform efforts got him pushed off the Board after his term ended. He was ignored by the Nominating Committee which was at the time still run by the Old Guard. I should note LtCol Brown is running, too.

Looking over the list, I see the names of many whom I know and trust to do the right thing if elected. I have endorsed Rob Beckman in June. Huey Laugesen of the Colorado State Shooting Association serves with me on the Membership Committee and is a breath of young fresh air. Charles Brown was one of two write-in candidates on the Elect A New NRA slate in the past election. Steve Schreiner is a long time Board member who has consistently been on the reform side. Randy Luth of Luth-AR was one of the first industry insiders to say enough is enough with regard to Wayne. I don’t know some of the rest but an endorsement by LtCol Brown and Frank Tait says everything that needs to be said.

Here is the list along with links from Frank’s Substack.

Rob Beckman https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/836e1142-b049-47d9-81b9-2fa4e2fcd426

Here are the other endorsed petitions as the original post had broken links

Col Brown https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/281d7f0c-6ac4-41e5-b5b5-dbecc9a95709

Sgt. (Ret.) Jerry Kraus https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/a445f9d6-4672-4ffd-9e69-195aece128c3

Major General (Ret.) Ken Bowra https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/51919442-e375-448b-a960-7712eea24bd2

Major (Ret.) William Askins https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/1f52f5f3-b301-4277-b836-2fd567758ba5

Huey Laugesen https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/c1cb1f95-9d72-4df2-9be4-935a07d2e6e6

Randy Luth https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/c4ef9324-28ec-4c74-9d2e-4058a88f1f2f

Lt. Colonel (Ret.) William Bailey https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/8a8fe04c-ca03-4b25-b131-e5d92519cb7e

Steve Schreiner https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/349aa059-59c9-45e1-9118-a32bcdf3777a

Charles Brown https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/10875a27-b29b-459f-8831-f046eeea9cd6?

Please sign the petitions!

As a reminder, to be eligible to sign the petitions you have to be a Life Member or an Annual Member with five years of continuous, unbroken membership. Each of these petition candidates will need a minimum of 363 valid signatures to be placed on the ballot.

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Randy Luth’s Shot Across Wayne’s Bow

May 14, 2021 by 6 Comments

Randy Luth was the founder of DPMS/Panther Arms and is the president of Luth-AR. I have a Luth MBA-1 buttstock on my “Charlie Foxtrot” DMR AR-15. He has been in the AR end of the firearms industry a long time. He is also no fan of Wayne LaPierre and wants him gone for the benefit of the NRA.

He sent an open letter that has been published in The Outdoor Wires series of online publications. He says something needs to be done to capture the attention of the go-along, get-along NRA Board of Directors as it is obvious that Wayne LaPierre is not going to step down on his own. His suggestion is an industry and member boycott of the NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Houston over Labor Day weekend. The Annual Meeting is a big money generator for the NRA from booth rentals and the fundraising events.

Here is Mr. Luth’s open letter:

Dear Friends and 2nd Amendment Supporters:

Wayne LaPierre- Go Away!

After watching this train wreck over the last 2 years, it is time for the firearms industry to assist in removing Wayne LaPierre from our beloved NRA.

As the bankruptcy proceedings have confirmed, there is a direct lack of leadership at the Executive level as well as the lackluster Board of Directors.

The members of the NRA donate hard-earned money to support the strongest amendment in the Bill of Rights, that would be the 2nd Amendment, not the 1st. When the NRA executives are living like Kings and Queens at the expense of working members, it is long past the time for removal or retirement of the Royalty.

Just think to the lobbying efforts and Pro-gun efforts that could have been initiated if LaPierre and his sidekicks had not caused the many lawsuits and distress within the NRA. It appears the NRA has paid attorneys close to $100,000,000 on the many lawsuits in the last few years. How can any nonprofit organization be involved in that many lawsuits?

It has become obvious the LaPierre will not step down, so it is time to help him make that decision. I propose that the firearms industry and the members boycott the upcoming annual convention/meeting in Houston over the Labor Day weekend. Exhibitors can boycott by either not attending or not setting up a booth. Members can boycott simply by not attending at all.

This proactive protest will send a strong message and may help LaPierre and his followers to pack their bags and depart. This is the only way to save the NRA, we need new Leadership and new ideas. How can there be 100,000,000-gun owners in America and less than 5 million members? I believe the reason is lack of leadership and marketing.

As a Lifetime member of the NRA and a member of the Hunters Leadership Forum, I have suspended all gifting legacy donations as well as HLF donations, in the meantime, I have donated similar dollars to other pro-gun organizations to help fight the fight.

Once new leadership is installed, I will reinstate my donations and support for the NRA, as I have done for 4 decades.

We need the NRA, but we need new Executive leadership and Board of Directors.

I ask that you stand with me. We CAN and WILL be heard loud and clear. We can right this sinking ship. Begin the Boycott!

-Randy E. Luth

I have heard many people express doubt that the NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibition will actually happen. I don’t know but I’d for sure get a room and flight with free cancellation! I probably will go if only to be there if it does come off to be a thorn in the side to the powers that be.

I do wonder how many Texas politicians will find scheduling conflicts when it comes to the NRA’s Leadership Forum. If I were Ted Cruz or John Cornyn or Greg Abbott, I think I might have other pressing matters that called for my attention.