National Rifle Association
| National Rifle Association | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Fairfax, Virginia |
| Type: | 501(c)(4) |
| Top official: | Bill Bachenberg |
| Founder(s): | William C. Church and George Wingate |
| Year founded: | 1871 |
| Website: | Official website |
The National Rifle Association (NRA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that describes itself as "a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights."[1] The organization opposes regulations on firearms and conducts firearms-related training and advocacy.
Background
Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate, veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War, founded the NRA in 1871 responding to what they considered poor marksmanship on the part of the troops they commanded in the war. The organization's original goal was to promote marksmanship with rifles among the American public. The group later expanded its efforts to issue advocacy, forming the Legislative Affairs Division to communicate with lawmakers in 1934 and the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) as an associated lobbying organization in 1975. The NRA expanded its efforts to include hunter training programs in 1949 and law enforcement training in 1960. The NRA founded an associated 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, the NRA Foundation, in 1990 to focus on education and gun safety programs. As of September 2025, the NRA published three magazines: The American Hunter, The American Rifleman, and America's 1st Freedom.[1]
As of September 2025, the NRA described its mission as follows:[1]
| “ |
The National Rifle Association is America's longest-standing civil rights organization. Together with our more than five million members, we're proud defenders of history's patriots and diligent protectors of the Second Amendment.[2] |
” |
Leadership
As of September 2025, the NRA was governed by a 76-member board of directors.[3]
As of September 2025, the following individuals held senior leadership positions at the National Rifle Association:[4]
- Bill Bachenberg, president
- Doug Hamlin, executive vice president and chief executive officer
- Mark Vaughan, first vice president
- Rocky Marshall, second vice president
- John Commerford, executive director of the Institute of Legislative Affairs
- Josh Savani, executive director of general operations
- Sonya Rowling, treasurer
- Robert Mensinger, chief compliance officer
- John Frazer, secretary
Work and activities
Electoral activities and influence
The NRA’s political action committee, the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF), grades and endorses political candidates. The group’s endorsement policy says, "NRA has a pro-gun incumbent-friendly policy that dictates our support for pro-gun incumbents seeking reelection. It is important that we stand with our friends who stand with us in Congress or the state legislature through their actions."[5] To search candidates endorsed by the NRA-PVF, click here.
2020 elections
The NRA endorsed Jeff Sessions in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate in Alabama.[6]
2019 elections
The NRA made a $200,000 contribution to Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Todd Gilbert's (R) political action committee on September 3, 2019.[7]
2018 elections
The NRA endorsed several Nevada candidates ahead of the June 12 primary, including Dean Heller for Senate, Scott Hammond for NV-03, and Adam Laxalt for governor.
The NRA’s Political Victory Fund broke a 15 year-old fundraising record in March 2018, reportedly bringing in $2.4 million between March 1 and March 31. The Miami-Herald reported it was the most money the PAC reported raising in a single month since June 2003.
2016 presidential endorsement
✓ The National Rifle Association endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[8]
- See also: Endorsements for Donald Trump
2014 elections
According to a PBS report, the NRA spent over $27 million in independent campaign spending for the 2014 cycle.[9]
The NRA spent $982,152 in campaign contributions in 2014: $808,462 to candidates, $141,790 to parties, $5,000 to outside organizations, and $26,900 to leadership PACs.[10]
Expenditures
The NRA contributed $808,462 to candidates in the 2014 election cycle: $767,662 to Republican candidates and $40,800 to Democrats.[11]
| Top 10 largest NRA candidate expenditures in 2014 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | Total | ||
| John Barrow |  |
Ga. | U.S. House | $9,900 | ||
| Eric Cantor |  |
Va. | U.S. House | $9,900 | ||
| Thad Cochran | |
Miss. | U.S. Senate | $9,900 | ||
| Mike Coffman | |
Colo. | U.S. House | $9,900 | ||
| John Cornyn | |
Texas | U.S. Senate | $9,900 | ||
| Ryan Costello | |
Pa. | U.S. House | $9,900 | ||
| Tom Cotton | |
Ark. | U.S. House | $9,900 | ||
| Joni Ernst | |
Iowa | U.S. Senate | $9,900 | ||
| Bob Goodlatte | |
Va. | U.S. House | $9,900 | ||
| Mitch McConnell | |
Ky. | U.S. Senate | $9,900 | ||
| Stewart Mills | |
Minn. | U.S. House | $9,900 | ||
| Pat Roberts | |
Kan. | U.S. Senate | $9,900 | ||
| Steve Southerland | |
Fla. | U.S. House | $9,900 | ||
| Thom Tillis | |
N.C. | U.S. Senate | $9,900 | ||
2012 elections
The NRA spent $1,599,951 in campaign contributions in 2012: $1,023,237 to candidates, $411,509 to 527 committees, $104,505 to parties and $61,700 to leadership PACs.[12]
Expenditures
The NRA contributed $1,023,237 to candidates in the 2012 election cycle: $884,687 to Republican candidates and $126,650 to Democrats.[13]
| Top 10 largest NRA candidate expenditures in 2012[13] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | Total | Desired Result | ||
| Rick Berg | |
N.D. | House | $12,400 |  | ||
| Tommy Thompson | |
Wis. | Senate | $12,400 | | ||
| Steve King | |
Iowa | House | $12,400 |  | ||
| George Allen | |
Va. | Senate | $12,400 | | ||
| Ted Cruz | |
Texas | Senate | $12,400 | | ||
| John Barrow | |
Ga. | House | $12,400 | | ||
| Dan Benishek | |
Mich. | House | $12,400 | | ||
| Francisco Canseco | |
Texas | House | $12,400 | | ||
| Eric Cantor | |
Va. | House | $12,400 | | ||
| Mike Coffman (Colorado) | |
Colo. | House | $12,400 | | ||
Ballot measure activity
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has taken positions on ballot measures. You can access Ballotpedia’s list of NRA ballot measure positions here: National Rifle Association (NRA) ballot measure positions.
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the National Rifle Association's revenues and expenses from 2004 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $170.6 million | $182.7 million |
| 2005 | $164.0 million | $178.2 million |
| 2006 | $165.5 million | $176.6 million |
| 2007 | $332.3 million | $196.1 million |
| 2008 | $248.0 million | $218.1 million |
| 2009 | $237.5 million | $236.4 million |
| 2010 | $227.8 million | $183.7 million |
| 2011 | $219.0 million | $231.1 million |
| 2012 | $256.3 million | $254.2 million |
| 2013 | $348.0 million | $290.6 million |
| 2014 | $310.5 million | $345.6 million |
| 2015 | $336.7 million | $303.5 million |
| 2016 | $366.9 million | $412.7 million |
| 2017 | $312.0 million | $329.8 million |
| 2018 | $352.6 million | $355.3 million |
| 2019 | $291.2 million | $303.4 million |
| 2020 | $282.0 million | $237.6 million |
| 2021 | $227.4 million | $217.9 million |
| 2022 | $211.3 million | $233.8 million |
| 2023 | $175.7 million | $208.8 million |
Noteworthy events
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| Coronavirus pandemic |
| Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.
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The NRA sued the state of New York seeking firearm businesses to be designated as essential. The NRA tweeted, "This is clearly another assault by Gov. Cuomo on the NRA, on the rights of New Yorkers to defend themselves and their families, and on our 2A freedoms. NRA will continue to fight all such attacks."[14]
See also
External links
- National Rifle Association official website
- National Rifle Association on Facebook
- National Rifle Association on X
- National Rifle Association on YouTube
- National Rifle Association on Instagram
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 National Rifle Association, "A Brief History of the NRA," accessed September 19, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ America's 1st Freedom, "President’s Column | Why Is The Board Of Directors So Large?" April 22, 2025
- ↑ National Rifle Association, "Bill Bachenberg Elected NRA President, Doug Hamlin Unanimously Reelected as NRA Executive Vice President & CEO," April 28, 2025
- ↑ NRA, "NRA-PVF Endorsement Policy," May 10, 2010
- ↑ AL.com, "NRA endorses Jeff Sessions over Tommy Tuberville in Alabama GOP Senate runoff," March 14, 2020
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Money flowing to Virginia legislative races from both sides of gun control issue," September 5, 2019
- ↑ Politico, "NRA facing member backlash over Trump endorsement," May 21, 2016
- ↑ PBS, "How Loaded is the Gun Lobby?" January 6, 2015
- ↑ Center for Responsive Politics, "National Rifle Assn," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ Center for Responsive Politics, "National Rifle Assn:Recipients," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "National Rifle Assn," accessed December 3, 2013
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 OpenSecrets, "National Rifle Assn:Recipients," accessed December 3, 2013
- ↑ Boston.com, "The NRA sees a threat, and an opportunity, in COVID-19," accessed April 30, 2020
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