petition candidates

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2025 NRA Board Candidates – Annotated

October 21, 2024 by

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

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We Made It By Petition

October 18, 2024 by 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 LetterDownload

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.

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NRA Petition Candidates Round-Up (Updated)

October 5, 2024 by 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!

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The Vote To Abolish The Special Litigation Committee

September 23, 2024 by 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.

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NRA Petition Candidate – Willes Lee

September 15, 2024 by 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.

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NRA Petition Candidate – Scott Emslie

September 15, 2024 by

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 BIODownload

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_ EmslieDownload

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.

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!

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NRA Petition Candidate – Todd Figard

September 15, 2024 by

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 BIODownload

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 PetitionDownload

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.

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!

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NRA Petition Candidate – Jason Wilson

September 14, 2024 by

Jason Wilson is an entrepreneur and the CEO of Lucid Optics. I can’t swear that I’ve met him at the SHOT Show but I do know I’ve visited the Lucid Optics booth many a time. They make good stuff and I have one of their “blue dot” scopes. The Board and the NRA need entrepreneurs who will think outside the box like Jason has done with Lucid. In addition to being in the firearms business, Jason is a competitor or has been in everything from 3-gun to PRS.

Here is more about Jason from his bio:

Jason Wilson BIODownload

You can return Jason’s petition either to him directly at 1697 N. 8th St. West, Riverton, WY 82501 . 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.

Jason Wilson PetitionDownload

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.

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NRA Petition Candidate – Todd Vandermyde

September 14, 2024 by 1 Comment

I remember Don Moran, then president of the Illinois State Rifle Association, telling me that no one knew the laws concerning firearms in Illinois better than Todd Vandermyde. Don said he could quote the laws to you. Todd used this to our advantage for years in Illinois when he served as the NRA’s contract lobbyist and put together coalitions to both stop bad bills and pass good bills in Springfield. If Todd makes the ballot as he should and gets elected to the Board of Directors, the impact he would make on the Legal Affairs and Legislative Affairs Committee would be tremendous.

Todd is a friend and we have discussed cases and legal strategies for years. Even though Todd is not a lawyer – he was an operating engineer – he sees paths to victory in the courts that many lawyers cannot see due to their rigid mindset. You can see this for yourself on Todd’s YouTube channel called Freedom’s Steel where he discusses the Rahimi case. As Todd has said many times, imagine what could have been done for the Second Amendment with just a fraction of the money wasted on Brewer.

I should note here that I submitted Todd’s name to the Nominating Committee for nomination while he submitted mine. I still think that even though they overlooked him that he was more qualified to sit on the Board than many whom they did put on the ballot. I have embedded his bio below.

Todd Vandermyde BIODownload

I would strongly urge you to sign Todd’s petition if you are a voting member and ask fellow voting members to do likewise. Both the Complementary Spouse and I have signed his petition. This is the second time I’ve posted his petition because I believe so strongly in his candidacy.

You can return Jim’s petition either to him directly at 2341 Iroquois Lane, Yorkville, IL 80560. 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.

Todd Vandermyde PetitionDownload

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.

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NRA Petition Candidate – Jim Sheckels

September 14, 2024 by 1 Comment

Jim Sheckels is a fellow North Carolinian who lives in Fayetteville. He brings a ton of experience to the table ranging from 21 years in the US Army and another 20 plus years with the Department of Defense as a civilian to being a NRA training counselor and a Master Hunter Education Instructor. Frankly, there is too much stuff there to list. However, what solidified my support for Jim is when I found out he was a life member of Grass Roots North Carolina. That told me everything about his unwavering support for the Second Amendment.

You can read more about Jim’s experience and activities in his bio below:

James Jim Sheckels BIODownload

You can return Jim’s petition either to him directly at 6916 Glynn Mill Farm Dr, Fayetteville, NC 28306. 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.

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.

James Sheckels PetitionDownload