FAIRFAX, Va. — (AmmoLand.com) — The 2026 National Rifle Association Board of Directors election is approaching. Who’s running? How many incumbents are there? Who was nominated by the committee? Who’s on the ballot via petition?

The National Rifle Association has 25 Board of Directors positions up for grabs annually. Following the Association over the last few years, many know that there have been some contentious elections. Members have been trying to regain control of the Association. Some allege that the organization has been in a rut that enabled former Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre to abuse his office, and these new members are trying to assert control.

In the last election cycle, the board split into separate campaigns facing off as either “old guard” candidates and “reform” candidates. During the 2025 election, no unaffiliated candidates were elected to the Board of Directors; failing to choose a side yielded a loss for board candidates. The reform candidates swept the ballot in 2025 giving the pro-transparency camp a near supermajority on the board. Some of the reform and pro-transparency moves were discussed in AmmoLand’s coverage of and within the new president’s website.

Is the 2026 Board of Directors election shaping up differently? There are 38 director candidates on the ballot, and this is how they shake up.

The Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee for the 2026 election consisted of nine NRA members. Three members of the committee were rank-and-file members. Six members were directors whose terms don’t end in 2026. The committee, when formulated, consisted of the following members:

Cam Edwards, Al Hammond (28), Maria Heil (27), Robben Love, Mitzy McCorvey (28), Buz Mills (27), Janet Nyce (27), Susan Springhorn, and Robert Wos (27).

Directors serving on the Nominating Committee are indicated with the year of their term expiration noted next to their name. The committee report stated that Director Maria Heil resigned from the committee for “personal reasons” and Robben Love “died unexpectedly.”

The final committee consisted of two general NRA members and five board members. When the committee was originally formulated, it comprised one-third non-board members and two-thirds board members.

What Qualities Did the Nominating Committee Seek in a Candidate?

In their 2025 report for the 2026 election, the committee outlined attributes that they were looking for in candidates. The list was created as a result of a policy implemented in January. Creation of the list came from the committee with input from “the Association’s President, First and Second Vice Presidents, and Executive Vice President.”

The attributes and qualities the committee officially listed were:

• Unquestioned personal integrity
• Passion for the NRA’s mission
• Proven executive-level leadership abilities
• A record of entrepreneurial success
• Financial, investment, insurance, and risk management experience
• Experience in NRA program areas such as competitive shooting and gun collecting
• Firearms industry experience and relationships
• Strong communication skills, social media influence, and willingness to serve as the public face of the Association
• Proven ability to connect with emerging constituencies such as younger gun owners and members of minority groups
• Available time to devote to NRA business

Candidates Selected by the Nominating Committee

There’s a slate of 30 candidates the nominating committee selected. Those director candidates include 13 incumbent directors. Absent from the committee’s report were an additional 13 incumbent directors not recommended for reelection.

The August 2025 report returned the following names:

1. William Bailey from Milledgeville, Georgia
2. Robert Beckman from Cincinnati, Ohio
3. Kenneth Bowra from Smithfield, Virginia
4. Charles Brown from Dayton, Ohio
5. Alex Carroll from Connersville, Indiana
6. Ted W. Carter from Jacksonville, Florida (Incumbent)
7. James D’Cruz from Oakland, Florida
8. Richard Fairburn from Canton, Illinois (Incumbent)
9. Richard Todd Figard from Wadsworth, Ohio
10. Megan Hilbish from Emporia, Kansas
11. Charles T. Hiltunen, III from Indianapolis, Indiana (Incumbent)
12. Kyle Hupfer from Pendleton, Indiana
13. Jacqueline Janes from Mesa, Arizona
14. Jerry Kraus from Craig, Colorado
15. Randy Luth from Becker, Minnesota
16. Robert Mansell from Bullhead City, Arizona (Incumbent)
17. Eric Metteauer from Beaumont, Texas
18. Ernest Myers from Windermere, Florida
19. James W. Porter II from Birmingham, Alabama (Incumbent)
20. David Raney from Hillsdale, Michigan (Incumbent)
21. Mark Robinson from Colfax, North Carolina (Incumbent)
22. Steven C. Schreiner from Englewood, Colorado (Incumbent)
23. Leroy Sisco from Boerne, Texas (Incumbent)
24. Amanda Suffecool from Wayland, Ohio (Incumbent)
25. Regis Synan from Export, Pennsylvania
26. Mark Vaughan from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Incumbent)
27. Linda Walker from Newark, Ohio (Incumbent)
28. James Wallace from Newburyport, Massachusetts
29. Jay Wallace from Smyrna, Georgia
30. Bruce Widner from Anderson, South Carolina (Incumbent)

According to NRA Secretary John Frazer, attendance waivers were granted to Director Steven C. Schreiner and Director Mark Robinson. Those directors did not fulfill their attendance requirements while serving the terms of their office. The waivers were voted on at the most recent NRA board meeting in September, Frazer said in an email.

Incumbents Not on the Committee’s Report

There were 13 incumbent directors not on the committee’s report. All 13 directors were contacted through Secretary Frazer and invited to discuss their eligibility status. Only one director replied to that request for comment/interview.

The following incumbent directors were not on the report:

• Thomas P. Arvas
• Clel Baudler
• J. William Carter
• Patricia A. Clark
• Charles L. Cotton
• Curtis S. Jenkins
• Amy Heath Lovato
• Jay Printz
• Barbara Rumpel
• John C. Sigler
• Danny Stowers
• Judi White
• Eb Wilkinson

Director Clel Baudler commented on the record about why his name was not on the nominating report.

“So you want to know why I’m not on the ballot?” Director Baudler asked during a telephone interview. “I’m 86 years old, and I asked not to be nominated.” Baudler explained he wanted to retire. He further stated that the membership should “find a younger person to replace” him. Baudler noted that he’s been a member of the National Rifle Association since he was 18 and served on the Board of Directors for 21 years.

Sources allege that there are three other directors not seeking reelection who also desire to retire. However, those claims have not been confirmed. No other director whose term ends in 2026 indicated one way or the other.

Petition Candidates

Eleven successful petition campaigns were run. Of those campaigns, three candidates were also selected by the nominating committee — two of which are incumbent directors.

The successful petition candidates are as follows:

• Robert Brown from Denver, Colorado
• Isaac Demarest from Holland, Ohio
• Lynn Gipson from New Athens, Illinois
• Huey Laugesen from Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Amy Lovato from Westfield, New Jersey (Incumbent not recommended by committee)
• Deborah Lyman from Wallingford, Connecticut
• Todd Vandermyde from Yorkville, Illinois
• Eb Wilkinson from Tucson, Arizona (Incumbent not recommended by committee)
• Robert Beckmann from Cincinnati, Ohio (Petition and committee recommended)
• Steven C. Schreiner from Englewood, Colorado (Petition and committee recommended incumbent director)
• Amanda Suffecool from Wayland, Ohio (Petition and committee recommended incumbent director)

Incumbent directors running via petition who were not recommended by the Nominating Committee, Amy Lovato and Eb Wilkinson, did not return requests for comment or interviews sent through Secretary Frazer.

The Full Slate of Candidates on the 2026 Ballot

1. William Bailey from Milledgeville, Georgia (Committee recommended)
2. Robert Beckmann from Cincinnati, Ohio (Committee recommended and petition)
3. Kenneth Bowra from Smithfield, Virginia (Committee recommended)
4. Charles Brown from Dayton, Ohio (Committee recommended)
5. Robert Brown from Denver, Colorado (Petition candidate)
6. Alex Carroll from Connersville, Indiana (Committee recommended)
7. Ted W. Carter from Jacksonville, Florida (Committee recommended incumbent director)
8. James D’Cruz from Oakland, Florida (Committee recommended)
9. Isaac Demarest from Holland, Ohio (Petition candidate)
10. Richard Fairburn from Canton, Illinois (Committee recommended incumbent director)
11. Richard Todd Figard from Wadsworth, Ohio (Committee recommended)
12. Lynn Gipson from New Athens, Illinois (Petition candidate)
13. Megan Hilbish from Emporia, Kansas (Committee recommended)
14. Charles T. Hiltunen, III, from Indianapolis, Indiana (Committee recommended incumbent director)
15. Kyle Hupfer from Pendleton, Indiana (Committee recommended)
16. Jacqueline Janes from Mesa, Arizona (Committee recommended)
17. Jerry Kraus from Craig, Colorado (Committee recommended)
18. Huey Laugesen from Colorado Springs, Colorado (Petition candidate)
19. Amy Lovato from Westfield, New Jersey (Petition incumbent not recommended by committee)
20. Randy Luth from Becker, Minnesota (Committee recommended)
21. Deborah Lyman from Wallingford, Connecticut (Petition candidate)
22. Robert Mansell from Bullhead City, Arizona (Committee recommended incumbent director)
23. Eric Metteauer from Beaumont, Texas (Committee recommended)
24. Ernest Myers from Windermere, Florida (Committee recommended)
25. James W. Porter II from Birmingham, Alabama (Committee recommended incumbent director)
26. David Raney from Hillsdale, Michigan (Committee recommended incumbent director)
27. Mark Robinson from Colfax, North Carolina (Committee recommended incumbent director)
28. Steven C. Schreiner from Englewood, Colorado (Committee recommended and petition incumbent director)
29. Leroy Sisco from Boerne, Texas (Committee recommended incumbent director)
30. Amanda Suffecool from Wayland, Ohio (Committee recommended and petition incumbent director)
31. Regis Synan from Export, Pennsylvania (Committee recommended)
32. Todd Vandermyde from Yorkville, Illinois (Petition candidate)
33. Mark Vaughan from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Committee recommended incumbent director)
34. Linda Walker from Newark, Ohio (Committee recommended incumbent director)
35. James Wallace from Newburyport, Massachusetts (Committee recommended)
36. Jay Wallace from Smyrna, Georgia (Committee recommended)
37. Bruce Widner from Anderson, South Carolina (Committee recommended incumbent director)/li>
38. Eb Wilkinson from Tucson, Arizona (Petition incumbent not recommended by committee)

The Election

The ballot for the 2026 National Rifle Association Board of Directors election should be hitting mailboxes as early as January 2026. The 38 candidates on the ballot do not preclude any write-in candidates members decide to put on their ballots. Members will have an opportunity to vote for 25 candidates.

The 2026 term ends during the Annual Meeting of Members in Houston, Texas, on April 18, 2026. While attending the annual meeting, eligible voting members will be called upon to vote on one director candidate to fill the one-year term 76th director spot. Once the new and any reelected directors are sworn in, the entire Board of Directors will meet to elect the line of officers as well as conduct other business that may come regularly before it.

The full candidate slate can be read HERE.

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About John Petrolino

John Petrolino is a US Merchant Marine Officer, writer, author of Decoding Firearms: An Easy to Read Guide on General Gun Safety & Use and NRA certified pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructor living under and working to change New Jersey’s draconian and unconstitutional gun laws. You can find him on the web at www.johnpetrolino.com on twitter at @johnpetrolino, facebook at @thepenpatriot and on instagram @jpetrolinoiii .