2025 NRA Board Elections Archives -

Uncategorized

2025 NRA Board Candidates – Annotated

October 21, 2024

by John Richardson

The combined list of candidates for the 2025 NRA Board of Directors’ election was sent out on Friday by Secretary John Frazer. This includes all of those who were nominated by the Nominating Committee plus those who were successfully added to the list by petition. There are two candidates, myself and John Sigler, who are “double nominated”. That is nominated by both petition and by the Nominating Committee. Additionally, James Gilmore and Grover Norquist who were nominated by the Nominating Committee declined their nominations.

Absent from this list are Charles Brown and Paul Babaz. Both failed to meet the October 8th deadline as they were impacted by the recent hurricanes. While not on this list of candidates, there is hope that they will be added one way or another.

Voting members may choose up to 28 candidates to fill 25 three-year terms that expire in 2028; one two-year term ending in 2027; and two one-year terms ending in 2026. This will be the year in which I will not be encouraging bullet voting but voting a complete ticket. More on that to come.

I have annotated the list of candidates below to reflect if they are currently on the Board, how they were nominated, where they stood with regard to the Special Litigation Committee, and if they are on the reform ticket of candidates. Greer Johnson and John Sigler replaced directors who resigned after the September board meeting where there was the vote on abolishing the Special Litigation Committee. While not a given, it should be assumed that they would have voted with the cabal to retain the SLC.

KEY

* = Petition Candidate

** = Nominating & Petition Candidate

Bold = Reform Ticket

+ = Current Board Member

@ = Voted to abolish SLC

# = Voted to keep SLC

NOMINATING COMMITTEE & PETITION NOMINEES

1. Bob Barr +

Smyrna, Georgia

2. Sharon Callan

Tucson, Arizona

3. Anthony P. Colandro + @

Woodland Park, New Jersey

4. Larry E. Craig + #

Boise, Idaho

5. Isaac Demarest + #

Holland, Ohio

6. Steven Dulan + #

East Lansing, Michigan

7. Todd Ellis + @

Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

8. Robert Scott Emslie*

St. Augustine, Florida

9. Richard Fairburn

Canton, Illinois

10. Richard Todd Figard*

Wadsworth, Ohio

11. Lawrence Finder

Houston, Texas

12. Jeff Fleetham

Mesa, Arizona

13. James Fotis

Lake Worth, Florida

14. Carol Frampton + #

Prosperity, South Carolina

15. Joel Friedman + #

Henderson, Nevada

16. Sandra S. Froman + #

Tucson, Arizona

17. Jonathan S. Goldstein*

Haverford, Pennsylvania

18. Philip Gray

Chillicothe, Ohio

19. Jack Hagan

Charleston, South Carolina

20. Al Hammond + @

Alachua, Florida

21. Charles T. Hiltunen, III + @

Indianapolis, Indiana

22. Theresa Inacker*

Tabernacle, New Jersey

23. Greer Johnson +

Duluth, Georgia

24. Tom King +

East Greenbush, New York

25. Lucretia Hughes Klucken

Loganville, Georgia

26. Willes K. Lee* + @

Arlington, Virginia

27. Howard Massingill*

Pueblo West, Colorado

28. Mitzy McCorvey +

Houston, Texas

29. David Mitten

Chillicothe, Ohio

30. James W. Porter II* + @

Birmingham, Alabama

31. Kim Rhode* + #

Monrovia, California

32. John Richardson**

Arden, North Carolina

33. Gene T. Roach

Shelbyville, Kentucky

34. Charles Rowe

Wadsworth, Ohio

35. Lane Ruhland

Lodi, Wisconsin

36. Ronald L. Schmeits + @

Raton, New Mexico

37. James A. Sheckels*

Fayetteville, North Carolina

38. Mark Shuell

Auburn, Michigan

39. John C. Sigler** +

Dover, Delaware

40. Danny Stowers + #

Pearland, Texas

41. Regis Synan

Export, Pennsylvania

42. Frank Tait*

Wayne, Pennsylvania

43. Todd Vandermyde*

Yorkville, Illinois

44. Dwight D. Van Horn + #

Hayden, Idaho

45. Blaine Wade +

Bristol, Tennessee

46. James L. Wallace + @

Newburyport, Massachusetts

47. Knox Williams

Atlanta, Georgia

48. Jason Wilson*

Riverton, Wyoming

49. Cathy Wright + @

North Beach, Maryland

Uncategorized

We Made It By Petition

October 18, 2024

by John Richardson 1 Comment

I received notification on Tuesday that I qualified for the 2025 NRA Board of Elections ballot by petition. It was thanks to you that I made it.

Richardson Petition Notification Letter Download

According to an affidavit filed with the New York court on Wednesday by NRA Secretary John Frazer:

. As of the execution of this affidavit, 14 candidates have qualified for the 2025 ballot by submitting the required number of valid signatures as of the October 8 deadline. (Two of those candidates were also nominated by the Nominating Committee.) Three additional potential candidates submitted petitions, but
did not submit enough valid signatures as of the deadline to qualify.

First, I have no idea who the second candidate to be double nominated is. If anyone knows, please put it in the comments. Second, as of now, thanks to storm-related delays, neither Paul Babaz nor Charles Brown qualified. It is my understanding that each had enough signatures but did not make the October 8th deadline thanks to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Judge Cohen may have other ideas about whether they will be on the ballot or not. The New York Attorney General’s Office amended proposal is requesting an extension to November 15th for those petition candidates who are residents of North Carolina or Florida. Unfortunately, that will not help either Paul or Charlie as they reside in Georgia and Ohio respectively.

One question that comes up is why I bothered to seek to run by petition when I was already on the ballot thanks to the Nominating Committee. My answer is quite simple. While I appreciated the nomination by the Nominating Committee surprising as it was, being nominated by petition reflects the will of hundreds of rank and file NRA voting members who took the time and effort to sign and mail my petition. To me, that is a great honor which also comes with great responsibility if elected. I will endeavor to be worthy of that support.

Uncategorized

Delivered!

October 7, 2024

by John Richardson 3 Comments

My package containing 236 petition sheets with 547 signatures was delivered to the NRA’s Office of the Secretary this morning. It cost me $92.22 but it was worth it.

When dealing with the powers that be, it always pays to have proof!

I know I have more petitions coming in as UPS has notified me of at least two packages that are delayed by the storm. I plan to send those in to Fairfax because why not. They can turn their nose up at them and not count them but they will know that even more voting members are demanding change.

Uncategorized

NRA Petition Candidates Round-Up (Updated)

October 5, 2024

by John Richardson 21 Comments

Last minute note: The top three listed – Babaz, Brown, and Lee – may not have enough to make on the ballot. If you can get a petition to them directly by Monday, it may help put them over the top.

I received a suggestion from Stephen Wenger of the Defensive Use of Firearms digest that it would be helpful to put links to all the petition candidates in one post. I quite agree.

His second suggestion was to remind readers that if they are signing multiple petitions, it would easier and cheaper to send them all to Rocky Marshall. He is right!

An important note – Rocky needs to get them by September 30th so they can be sent to the individual candidates. Under the NRA’s antiquated rules, petitions can only be submitted to the NRA by the candidate and no one else. The NRA’s deadline to have them delivered to the Office of the Secretary is October 8th.

That address is Frontier Truck Gear, Attn Rocky Marshall, PO Box 277, Center Point, TX 78010.

Here are the links in no particular order:

Paul Babaz

Charlie Brown

Willes Lee

Jim Porter

Frank Tait

Scott Emslie

Todd Figard

Howard Massingill

Jonathan Goldstein

Jim Sheckels

Jason Wilson

Todd Vandermyde

Theresa Inacker

And finally, there is me (John Richardson). I am still running for the Board by petition.

Time is getting critical as we have only about two weeks to finish gathering petitions. If you have a club meeting in the next week or so, print out some or all of the petitions and ask voting members to sign. If you have a shooting competition this next weekend, do likewise. If you have a gun show next weekend, consider taking petitions with you and asking people to sign.

The key thing to remember is that you are doing this for the future of the NRA. All of us above are just your tools to effect change. As someone told me in an email when he sought to have friends at the range sign my petition, they all expressed disappointment in the NRA and were waiting to see change before they could be bothered to sign my petition.

We are all disappointed but if we keep waiting for change before acting, it will never get done. You, I, and everyone else needs to act now!

Uncategorized

You Did It! I Made My NRA Petition Numbers

October 5, 2024

by John Richardson 5 Comments

547 petition signatures with membership numbers sent by UPS Next Day Air to the NRA Office of the Secretary.

236 petition sheets with an average of 2.32 signatures per page.

The stack was about 1.5 inches and weighed just under three pounds.

USPS came through by delivering enough petitions with signatures on Friday to surpass the bylaw required number of 398.

I could not have done this without the aid of all of you who mailed me your petitions directly, those who signed a petition at a gun club, or those who mailed their petitions to Rocky Marshall in Texas for forwarding to me.

Beyond the many individuals who sent me their petition, I would like especially to thank Karl Rehn, Phil Journey, “Bitter”, and Todd Vandermyde for gathering multiple sheets of signatures at events like a class or GRPC and at their respective gun clubs. I also want to thank Rocky Marshall who helped coordinate the gathering of petitions for all the reform candidates and then sending them forward. Finally, a big thanks to Buz Mills of Gunsite for a huge email push, to the Board of Directors of California Rifle and Pistol Association for suggesting their members consider signing candidates’ petitions, and to the Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association which did likewise.

Two things were made very clear through this whole process to me. First, there are many, many individual NRA members who are not happy with the current state of things and want reform. Second, the number of people who have dropped their NRA annual memberships over the past few years is extraordinarily large. This was due in large part to a) disgust over the corruption and grifting by Wayne and his friends, b) the failure by many long-time members on the current Board to do their fiduciary duty, and c) a feeling that the NRA was no longer relevant in the fight for the Second Amendment as they had compromised one time too many. Any current board member that does not recognize that sticking to the “old ways” and looking the other way contributed in large part to the huge decline in membership of the NRA should think twice about remaining on the board.

To conclude, I want to reiterate my great thanks to all who signed my petition and those of other 13 reform candidates. I think all will be on the ballot come 2025.

Uncategorized

The Vote To Abolish The Special Litigation Committee

September 23, 2024

by John Richardson 2 Comments

As has been reported elsewhere, the vote to abolish the NRA Board’s Special Litigation Committee failed as it didn’t get a super-majority. The good news was that it was done with a roll call vote which can now be reported. Thanks to Jeff Knox and his obtaining clearance to report the vote which is public information, we know who voted to abolish the SLC, who voted to keep it (and Brewer), and who was either absent or abstained.

The final vote was 34 in favor of rescinding the resolution authorizing the creation of the SLC with 26 opposed. There were 16 abstentions or absences reported. While there was a majority, it did not meet the threshold to rescind the resolution and abolish the SLC.

While those in favor should not all be considered reformers and all those opposed are not necessarily cabal supporters, it does give some indication of each director’s leanings. As such, with preparation for the 2025 election of directors in full swing, here is the roll call vote. I have annotated with whether or not the director could be up for election, if they were re-nominated by the Nominating Committee, or if they having to run by petition. A star next to the name of the director indicates their term will expire in 2025.

In favor of abolishing the SLC:

Paul D. Babaz (*, petition)
Bill Bachenberg
Clel Baudler
Ted W. Carter
Anthony P. Colandro (*, Nom Comm)
Rick Ector
Todd R. Ellis (*, Nom Comm)
Dennis Fusaro
Craig Haggard
Al Hammond (*, Nom Comm)
Maria Heil
Charles T. Hiltunen (*, Nom Comm)
Phillip B. Journey
Susannah Warner Kipke (resigned)
Jeffrey A. Knox
Willes K. Lee (*, petition)
Robert E. Mansell
Rocky Marshall
Owen Buz Mills
David Norcross (*, not running for reelection)
Janet D. Nyce
James W. Porter II (*, petition)
David A. Raney
Ronald L. Schmeits (*, Nom Comm)
Steven C. Schreiner
Leroy Sisco
Amanda Suffecool
Craig Swartz
Mark E. Vaughan
Linda L. Walker
James L. Wallace (*, Nom Comm)
Bruce Widener
Robert Wos
Cathy S. Wright (*, Nom Comm)

Those in favor of keeping the SLC:

Joe M. Allbaugh
Scott L. Bach
Charles R. Beers III
Donald J. Bradway
J. William Carter
Patricia A. Clark
Charles L. Cotton
David G. Coy
Larry E. Craig (*, Nom Comm)
Isaac Demarest (*, Nom Comm)
Steven W. Dulan (*, Nom Comm)
Edie P. Fleeman
Carol Frampton (*, Nom Comm)
Joel Friedman (*, Nom Comm)
Sandra S. Froman (*, Nom Comm)
Curtis S. Jenkins
Amy Heath Lovato
Bill Miller
Johnny Nugent
Jay Printz
Kim Rhode (*)
Barbara Rumpel
Don Saba
Danny Stowers (*, Nom Comm)
Dwight D. Van Horn (*, Nom Comm)
Eb Wilkinson

Abstentions or absences:

Thomas Arvas
Bob Barr (*, abstained, Nom Comm)
Ronnie Barrett
Kenneth Blackwell
Matt Blunt
Dean Cain
Marion Hammer (*, absent-health, not re-nominated)
Niger Innis
Tom King (*, absent-health, Nom Comm)
Mitzi McCorvey (*, Nom Comm)
Mark Robinson
Wayne Anthony Ross
Jim Tomes
Blaine Wade (*, absent, Nom Comm)
Howard Walter
Judi White

While the reformers hold the majority for now, three of them – Babaz, Lee, and Porter – can only get on the ballot for 2025 if they gather enough petition signatures. Furthermore, David Norcross will not be running for reelection and Susannah Kipke has resigned to take the position of Deputy Director for Advancement within the NRA. She will be replaced by John Sigler who probably is not a reformer and who is on the ballot thanks to the Nominating Committee. This means potentially a swing of five votes to the cabal.

This reemphasizes the importance of gathering enough petitions to get the reformers running by petition on the ballot. In addition, while I will be on the ballot thanks to the Nominating Committee, being placed on it by petition would give me a leg up on some of the cabal’s nominees. If you are a voting member and you haven’t signed the petitions, do it now! Time is running out.

Uncategorized

NRA Petition Candidate – Willes Lee

September 15, 2024

by John Richardson 1 Comment

Willes Lee got left out in the cold by the Nominating Committee. I don’t think that would be a surprise to anyone who has read my blog or seen his criticisms of the cabal on social media. If there is anything the cabal hates more than a reformer it is one of their own who awakened to the dangers they posed to the organization and thus to the Second Amendment. Willes became dead to them when he resigned from the Special Litigation Committee and they took their retribution.

I will admit that it still pisses me off that he called me a hater back in 2019 when I said there were problems within the NRA and it needed fixing. Being of Irish extraction, I can hold a grudge with the best of them. That said, I really do think Willes could bring something to the Board with his knowledge of how the cabal thinks and his knowledge of the inner workings of the NRA. He reached out to me with regard to the Special Litigation Committee to correct my erroneous belief (and that of others) that the members were chosen by position and not by name. He didn’t have to do it but he did it.

Given all of this, Willes has my support as a petition candidate for the Board. Both the Complementary Spouse and I have signed his petition and returned it. Besides, his cryptic needling of the cabal is quite entertaining!

Willes Lee Petition (1)Download

You can return Willes’ petition either to him directly at 5527 3rd Street South, Arlington VA 22204. Alternatively, you can return it along with other petitions to Rocky Marshall. That address is Frontier Truck Gear, Attn Rocky Marshall, PO Box 277, Center Point, TX 78010. Regardless of which address you send it, the petition should be sent so that it arrives by September 30th.

As with all of these petition candidates, if you can get more voting members to sign it, so much the better. A voting member is a) a Life Member of whatever level or b) an Annual Member with five years of continuous membership without a break.

Time is of the essence. We have about two weeks to go in which to secure the necessary signatures to get Willes and the others on the ballot. The goal is to have a reform candidate for every slot just like the cabal has loaded the ballot with those who support the status quo.

Uncategorized

NRA Petition Candidate – Scott Emslie

September 15, 2024

by John Richardson

Scott Emslie is a retired New York State Bridge Authority administrator where he managed multiple-million dollar budgets. Now residing in Florida, he is a NRA Certified Rifle and Pistol instructor as well as treasurer of his local Friends of the NRA committee. His budget experience is what is needed by the NRA especially now given the financial straits it has been left in thanks to Brewer and company.

Scott’s bio is below:

Robert Scott Emslie BIO Download

You can return Scott’s petition either to him directly at 1061 Morgans Treasure Rd, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Alternatively, you can return it along with other petitions to Rocky Marshall. That address is Frontier Truck Gear, Attn Rocky Marshall, PO Box 277, Center Point, TX 78010. Regardless of which address you send it, the petition should be sent so that it arrives by September 30th. Both the Complementary Spouse and I have signed his petition.

Petition Robert _Scott_ Emslie Download

We have about two weeks to go in which to secure the necessary signatures to get Todd and the others on the ballot. The goal is to have a reform candidate for every slot just like the cabal has loaded the ballot with those who support the status quo. It was defending Wayne, the grifters, and the status quo that put the NRA on trial in New York!

Uncategorized

NRA Petition Candidate – Todd Figard

September 15, 2024

by John Richardson

Todd Figard is a retired quality engineer whose career made him a believer in compliance and corrective action plans. That certainly sound like something the NRA could use! Moreover, he is a certified instructor across multiple firearms disciplines and has served as the Lead Safety Inspector for the past couple of years at the Great American Outdoor Show and the NRA Annual Meeting for displayed firearms.

His bio is below:

Richard Todd Figard BIO Download

You can return Todd’s petition either to him directly at 1640 Reimer Rd, Wadsworth, OH 44281. Alternatively, you can return it along with other petitions to Rocky Marshall. That address is Frontier Truck Gear, Attn Rocky Marshall, PO Box 277, Center Point, TX 78010. Regardless of which address you send it, the petition should be sent so that it arrives by September 30th. Both the Complementary Spouse and I have signed his petition.

Richard Todd Figard Petition Download

Uncategorized

NRA Petition Candidate – Jonathan Goldstein

September 14, 2024

by John Richardson

Jonathan Goldstein is an attorney specializing in firearms law, a serial entrepreneur, and a private equity investor. He has served on the NRA’s Legal Affairs Committee and lectures on firearms law and safety across Pennsylvania. He is the founding partner of Goldstein Law Partners. He is seeking to be on the 2025 ballot by petition. The Board certainly could use more members with entrepreneurial experience as they tend to think outside the box.

Jonathan’s biography is below:

Jonathan Goldstein BIO Download

You can return Jonathan’s petition either to him directly at 824 Buck Lane, Haverford, PA 19041. Alternatively, you can return it along with other petitions to Rocky Marshall. That address is Frontier Truck Gear, Attn Rocky Marshall, PO Box 277, Center Point, TX 78010. Regardless of which address you send it, the petition should be sent so that it arrives by September 30th. Both the Complementary Spouse and I have signed his petition.

Jonathan Goldstein Petition Download