As I said, I’m not endorsing the full ElectaNewNRA “reformer” slate. A couple have too much negative history, and a few others have shorter but somewhat dubious records. I’m not saying you shouldn’t vote for any of those folks; I’m just not giving them my personal endorsement.
All of that said, here are the new candidates who I endorse:
Frank Tait
John Richardson
Knox Williams (No relation)
Jason Wilson
Theresa Inacker
Mark Shuell (Not on the “NRA 2.0” list, but should have been.)
Todd Vandermyde (Who I don’t always agree with, but who brings much to the table.
Those I don’t know personally but who I’m endorsing on the recommendation of others are:
Jack Hagan
Howard Massingil, Jr.
James A. Sheckels
James Fotis
Jonathan Goldstien
Phillip Gray
Regis Synan
Richard Fairburn
Robert Scott Emslie
David Mitten
Richard Todd Figard, and
Charles Brown (Dayton, OH – Write-In)
Those are all of the new candidates I know enough about to recommend. That leaves 9 more seats to fill from among the other new candidates and the incumbents.
The incumbents on the “NRA 2.0” list I’m endorsing are:
Al Hammond
Charles Hiltunen
Cathy Wright
I have worked with and been impressed by them. I’m also giving my endorsement number-23 spot to Mitzy McCorvey, whom I don’t know well but seems to have her head in the game. All four of these have been new to the Board since 2022.
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. The remaining incumbents on the NRA 2.0 list are people who have been on the Board for more than one term. I consider some of them to be friends, and they have all been supportive of our reform agenda, but I’m not prepared to give them my personal endorsement. I hope they don’t take offense at this decision, but the issue is about not speaking up when they had the opportunity.
They are:
Anthony Colandro
Paul Babaz
Jim Wallace
Todd Ellis.
All four have been on the Board for 4 to 6 years, a little over one term, and none of them caught my attention for actively pushing reform during that time. That’s all. Maybe I missed something along the way, but these guys simply didn’t earn my endorsement. All have been working with reformers since 2024, and if you choose to reelect them, I’m sure they will continue to work toward a stronger and more effective NRA. While I won’t endorse them, I encourage you to consider giving them your vote. Experience on the Board does count for something, and I know I can work with these guys.
Please note that Paul Babaz is a write-in candidate, so if you want to give him a vote, you must write his name and “Atlanta, GA” on the back of the ballot in the space provided.
The last two incumbents on the reformer list are a different story. Both of them have been staunch advocates of reform since the 2024 election, working with me and other reformers and voting right on important issues, but they both also come with history that I cannot overlook.
Jim Porter is a past President, a member of the Executive Council, and has been on the Board since 1989. He and I have disagreed pretty consistently for his entire time on the Board, until last year when he came out strongly against some of the activities of the “Old Guard.” Since then, he’s been a staunch advocate for reform and a helpful ally. If he’s reelected, I’m confident he will continue working toward reform, but I’ll not ask anyone to vote for him.
Similarly, I get along well with Willes Lee, who was first elected to the Board in 2016 or ’17 and rose quickly through the chairs. Willes was a vice president and member of the Special Litigation Committee during the bankruptcy, and he was in line to become president in 2023 when he started refusing to go along with the Old Guard agenda. That’s when Cotton and company bumped him from the chairs.
I believe he has truly seen the light, but I can’t overlook his history during the LaPierre regime, so I can’t give him an endorsement.
That makes 22 “Knox endorsed” candidates from the “NRA 2.0” list and one (Mark Shuell) from among the unaffiliated new folks, to bring my total to 23.
These are the folks I’m personally voting for, but we’re still short 5 candidates, so I will be voting for the 5 that I think will do the best job from among the short-term incumbents on the “NRA 2.0” list, the unaffiliated candidates, and even the “Strong NRA” list. The incumbents I’ll consider are Anthony Colandro, Paul Babaz, Jim Wallace, and Todd Ellis. The unaffiliated candidates I’m considering are Greer Johnson, Lane Ruhland, Lucretia Hughes Klucken, and Gene Roach. I’m also giving serious consideration to the four candidates endorsed by the “Strong NRA” group, particularly Charles Rowe and Lawrence Finder. They all appear to be excellent candidates, in spite of the “Old Guard” endorsement. My only concern is regarding whose advice and counsel they will be listening to if they’re elected.
These last five choices are still open in my mind, but I’ll make my picks shortly after I get my ballot, and then I’ll mail it in. I encourage you to do the same. Pick the candidates you think will do the best job, and don’t delay marking your ballot and getting it in the mail.
Warning
It’s all too easy to set the magazine aside with the intention of getting back to it later and never finding it again.
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