NRA withdraws support for GOP governor after gun control legislation

The National Rifle Association (NRA) withdrew its support from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) after he signed a series of bills aimed at gun control legislation.
The Baltimore Sun reported on Saturday that the organization has reduced the Maryland Republican’s ranking and will not be endorsing him in the current election cycle, as it did when he successfully ran in 2014.
According Sun, Hogan, who once had an “A-“ grade on protecting the rights of gun owners in 2014 with the NRA, now holds a “C” rating with the organization.
{mosads}The move comes months after Hogan signed a series of bills aimed at addressing gun violence.
Among the bills signed by the Republican was a ban on “bump stocks” and a “red flag law,” which makes it easier for guns to be taken away from individuals deemed to be dangerous.
At the time, Hogan praised the legislation package as a series of “common-sense, bipartisan measures that will keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and those with criminal backgrounds.”
Hogan also said in July that he would reject an endorsement from the NRA if it gave him one while speaking to a students at Great Mill High School, months after a 16-year-old girl was killed during a school shooting.
“He told them he wasn’t expecting it and didn’t want it,” Hogan spokeswoman Amelia Chasse said of an endorsement back in July. “He doesn’t think the NRA are big fans of his at the moment.”
Despite the NRA withdrawing its support from Hogan just weeks ahead of midterm elections, Hogan campaign spokesman Doug Mayer told the Sun that the governor still is a supporter of Second Amendment rights.
“The governor’s position on guns will never change; he wants to make it harder for criminals and the mentally ill to get access to them,” Mayer said. “He will continue to pursue policies that work to achieve those goals.”
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.