Endorsements For The NRA Board: A Round-Up

I usually just compile the endorsements from folks I respect around the gun culture when it comes to the annual election of directors for the NRA Board of Directors. This time it may be a little different but more on that later.

The first endorsements I want to highlight come from gun rights attorney Dave Hardy. He has been in the gun rights movement for a long time, has worked for the NRA in years gone by, is a gun blogger, and is a respected Second Amendment scholar. Dave has divided his endorsements into indispensible and very important for the NRA.

His indispensible picks include William Dailey, Charles Cotton, Curtis Jenkins, Patricia Clark, and J. William Carter. Meanwhile his very important picks are Bob Viden, John Cushman, David Bennett, Joel Friedman, Allan Cors, Tom Avras, Anthony Colandro, Ken Blackwell, Todd Rathner, (sheriff) Peter J. Printz, Carl Rowan, and Roy Innis.

Lt. Col. Robert K. Brown, publisher of Soldier of Fortune magazine and a NRA Board members, has his own list which overlaps much of Dave Hardy's list. His list includes Thomas. P. Arvas, J. William Carter, Alan D. Cors, John L. Cushman, William H. Dailey, Antonio Hernandez-Almodovar, Curtis S. Jenkins, Peter J. Printz, Todd J. Rathner, and Robert L. Viden.

David Codrea, National Gun Rights Examiner, and one of the journalists (with Mike Vanderboegh) who broke open BATFE's Operation Fast and Furious, has endorsed just one person: Anthony Colandro of New Jersey.

Running as an independent after being turned down for consideration by NRA’s nominating committee, Colandro promises to be the type of director capable of shaking up paid staff’s heretofore unbreakable grip on the board, paving the way for other candidates who would reform management policies away from an unsettling trend of offering compromises, political deal-making, and questionable political ratings that has alienated hard core members and resulted in apathy for the director election process, estimated by Jeff Knox to only attract about seven percent of eligible members who even bother voting.

Jeff Knox of the Firearms Coalition and the son of the late Neal Knox didn't have any endorsements last year. This year he has endorsed Anthony Colandro and Tracie L. Hill.

The main reason I am endorsing Colandro and Hill, aside from their credentials, is because the official NRA Nominating Committee didn’t. Both these candidates were nominated only by petition of the members. While the Nominating Committee slate includes many worthy candidates, I think it’s good to throw an outsider into the mix now and then.

Let me say that the NRA Board of Directors is, for the most part, a stellar group of dedicated and impressive individuals with a broad range of backgrounds, interests, and abilities. There are very few of them that I do not hold in the highest regard. Most have solid backgrounds in support of the Second Amendment, impressive credentials in the shooting sports, and have proven themselves as diligent workers and supporters of the organization’s goals and the membership’s best interests.

Read Jeff's full endorsement for its great explanation of how the NRA elections work. Most of the incumbents will win by default. Upstarts like Anthony Colandro rarely win unless there is some sort of groundswell behind them.

To all of these plus those endorsed by the Nominating Committee comes a wild care: Rob Pincus. He has thrown his hat into the ring as a write-in candidate for the Board of Directors.

I have decided to throw my hat in the ring and run for the 76th Seat on the NRA Board of Directors! In order to qualify for this seat, which is voted on at the NRA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis this April, I need as many write in votes as possible as part of the General Election.

I strongly believe that a position on the NRA BoD will allow me to do more work to promote our rights and responsibilities related to firearms ownership!

You have until April 6th to get your ballot in. Historically, less than 10% of eligible voters participate... Let's up the numbers and get those ballots in! Please spread the word!! #pincus4NRA

I am truly honored by the early support and encouragement that this announcement has brought in! I know that some of you have already sent your ballots in, but perhaps you know people who haven't. Thanks Much!

Rob goes into more detail as to why he is he is running here.  He also explains how to do a write-in vote.

Michael Bane has given Rob his unconditional endorsement. As to why, he has this to say:

Why? Because Rob will always stand up...he eats, sleeps, breaths and, most importantly, believes in the Gun Culture and the RKBA. Perhaps most importantly, Rob can be a spectacular pain in the ass to the Powers-That-Be, and that is exactly the kind of person we need promoting our interests.

As I said in the beginning, I have never made an endorsement before. This time is different. Having a well-known self-defense trainer on the Board of Directors is, in my opinion, a much better thing than an old, out of office, politician or an actor. I don't have anything against Tom Selleck or the Gunny and I fully expect them to be elected to the Board.

If we want the gun rights movement to expand, we need to get people on the Board who represent Gun Culture v2.0 and who can go head to head with the Shannon Watts of the world. We don't need board members who list as one of their qualifications that they debated the Million Mom March. I've met Walt Walter of Flat Rock (NC) at the Asheville Rifle and Pistol Club and he's a nice old guy but that is so out of tune with we face nowadays. I think Rob Pincus could do that.

To vote, you have to be either a Life Member or a Five-Year Member. Ballots must be received by April 6th.

UPDATE: Bitter has her endorsements up at Shall Not Be Questioned. They include William Dailey, Dan Boren, Joel Friedman, Patricia Clark, Todd Rathner, Allan D. Cors, and Antonio Hernandez. She notes that there is no need to fill in all 25 spots just because you can. I am in full agreement with this as is Jeff Knox who explains "bullet" voting in his endorsement above.