Opinion By Bob Barr, NRA President

If you’re an NRA voting member, you’ll soon receive your 2025 ballot for the NRA Board of Directors election in the February issue of your NRA magazine.

For those of us who understand and support the Second Amendment, we know that every NRA election is extremely important, but this year’s election is critically important. You might ask, “Why?” That’s a fair question and deserves a fair answer.

This year, for the first time in several years, the legal battle we have been waging against New York Attorney General Letitia James — you remember, the one who had vowed as a candidate to use the power of her office to destroy the NRA — has ended. She failed to put us out of business, seize our assets, or force us to operate under the thumb of a New York monitor.

The NRA now has the opportunity to move forward unimpeded by the abuses of power by the NYAG.

We now MUST direct all our energy and efforts to restoring and strengthening NRA, following these years of legal conflict. How we do this and under what leadership will determine how quickly we restore and regain our unified strength for our mission, our members, our donors, and indeed our country.

We’re a group of concerned Second Amendment activists, attorneys, former members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S Senate, business executives, financial experts, distinguished competitive shooters and respected law enforcement leaders.

We’re running for the NRA Board of Directors because we’re very concerned about the future of the NRA and the Second Amendment.

We are: Bob Barr, Sharon Callan, Larry E. Craig, Isaac Demarest, Lawrence Finder, Jeff Fleetham, Carol Frampton, Joel Friedman, Sandra S. Froman, Tom King, Charles Rowe, Ronald L. Schmeits, John C. Sigler, Danny Stowers, Dwight D. Van Horn and Blaine Wade

Please see the attached flyer describing our team of candidates. Or by clicking on the linked names above.

Many of our team participated in the restructuring of NRA’s business and financial operations, implementing policies and accounting controls to safeguard NRA’s finances. Ultimately the New York Judge dismissed the New York Attorney General’s demand to dissolve the NRA and her later demand to install a monitor to oversee NRA’s operations. In fact, the Judge’s Final Order specifically endorsed many of the financial reforms already underway at NRA and adopted, near verbatim, NRA’s proposals for additional reform.

The Judge’s Final Order allows NRA to pursue its mission and carry the torch for constitutional freedom. NRA is now free to chart its course for the future – on OUR terms!

However, make no mistake, this victory was not coincidental, but rather the result of sustained legal advocacy by NRA’s attorneys and tremendous support by the NRA Board of Directors and staff.

Now, with the lawsuit behind us, NRA has begun a period of restoration and a time to build for the future. Our team has the knowledge, skills and experience to guide NRA though this difficult period and forward to a strong financial and political resurgence.

This past year, as NRA President, I appointed new committees to oversee the operations of the NRA. Three of the most important of these committees, the Audit Committee, the Ethics Committee, and the Finance Committee are tasked with overseeing the financial affairs of NRA and the maintenance of a robust code of ethical conduct. These three committees, with their very capable chairmen, have set a new standard for comprehensive oversight of the financial affairs of the NRA. We must and will continue this course!

Each member of our team brings proven accomplishments to the table.

One of our team initiated the landmark lawsuit, NYSRPA v Bruen, which resulted in the US Supreme Court upholding the right to carry and ruling that the New York law restricting concealed carry permits was unconstitutional.

Other members of our team have been responsible for landmark pro-2nd Amendment decisions in state and federal courts. Our team includes former legislators and law enforcement leaders who have considerable experience promoting pro-Second Amendment legislation and opposing anti-gun laws. Still other team members who come from business and banking backgrounds will provide valuable oversight for NRA financial and budgetary policies.

Our team also includes an International Distinguished Rifleman and a Police Pistol Champion. These team members are strongly committed to the expansion of the many NRA training and shooting programs that benefit all NRA members.

For more information about our team members, please see our biographical sketches on the pages next to your ballot in the February issue of your NRA magazine or go to www.StrongNRA.com.

We ask for your vote in this very important [NRA Board Election] election. Help us keep NRA strong and effective. Vote for this winning team of candidates.

Our plan for a strong and effective NRA is summarized below.

• Rebuild – Rebuild and strengthen NRA-ILA, Membership and General Operations, including Competitions, Education & Training, and our network of NRA grassroots Clubs and State Associations.
• Restore – Restore and reinforce NRA’s position of leadership in Second Amendment Advocacy in the White House, in Congress, in State Legislatures, and the Courts.
• Reform – Reform, modernize, and streamline NRA’s business and financial models to ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity.
• Repair – Repair and rebuild NRA’s relationship with our members, our clubs, our donors, the industry, Congress, and the public at-large.
• Revive – Revive and reinvigorate the programs and services our members want, need, deserve, and expect.
• Recover – Recover money owed to NRA by former executives, the State of New York and/or others, holding everyone accountable.

About The Honorable Bob Barr

As President of the NRA over the past year and having served on the Board of Directors since 1998, former U.S. Congressman Bob Barr advocates constantly for the constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms in all aspects of his professional and personal life as a lawyer, writer, and media personality. Defense of the Second Amendment was a primary focus of his political campaigns for Congress and presidential run in 2008. He has attended several international conferences in support of firearms rights, including fighting against efforts by the U.N. to weaken those rights.

Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003, and now practices law in Atlanta, Georgia. Bob is a member of the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission and also chairs Liberty Guard, Inc. a non-profit and non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting individual liberty.