NRA endorses Hoeven, Pomeroy

I noticed something interesting on this month’s November issue of American Rifleman, the magazine of the National Rifle Association (Yes, I’m a member).

It was no surprise to me that the NRA endorses Gov. John Hoeven, a Republican who received an “A” rating from the group for his actions on gun and hunting policty, but I did find it interesting that they endorsed Rep. Earl Pomeroy, the Democrat incumbent in the U.S. House of Representatives.  

I had expected the NRA to endorse Pomeroy’s challenger, Rep. Rick Berg, a Republican state representative from Fargo, because the Republican Party has traditionally been more in favor of gun rights than the Democrats. That may sound biased, I realize, but consider that Pomeroy is the only Democrat seeking office on the entire North Dakota ballot who received an NRA endorsement. (There were some Legislature races where neither Republicans nor Democrats were endorsed, but statewide, the Republicans tended to get better grades).

I realize the NRA is a single-issue organization and is not officially aligned with any party, but both Berg and Pomeroy were awarded “A” ratings by the NRA, which according to the magazine means they each are a ”Solidly pro-gun candidate. A candidate who has supported NRA positions on key votes in elective office or a candidate with a demonstrated record of support on Second Amendment issues.”

By the NRA’s metric, the two candidates are equal on gun-related issues, but Pomeroy got the endorsement. This makes me wonder how they made the decision. Could it be because he’s an incumbent? Because he’s a pro-gun Democrat? Was it because of past votes on gun issues on a national level over a longer career compared to Berg?

What do you think? I still haven’t made up my own mind who to vote for in the Pomeroy-Berg race, but you’re welcome to share who you think is the better candidate in the comments section.

I’ll put in a call to the NRA tomorrow and ask them, if I get time. You can see all the NRA’s endorsements on this website. Also, the NRA linked to this National Review article which explains their endorsement decisions on several races, but not North Dakota’s.

UPDATE: Looked a little closer, found an answer. NRA has a link on its U.S. House page for North Dakota and the words “Why we endorse this candidate” in a link under Pomeroy’s name. When you click the link, this text pops up, referring to Pomeroy’s actions:

Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act — Cosponsored and voted for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that prevents attempts to bankrupt the American gun industry through bogus lawsuits

District of Columbia Personal Protection Act — Cosponsored and voted for the Second Amendment Enforcement Act and District of Columbia Personal Protection Act that would repeal the D.C. gun ban/registration statute and restore the right of self-defense to law-abiding residents of our nation’s capital

Heller Case — Signed the pro-gun congressional “friend of the court” brief in the 2008 Heller case supporting the Second Amendment as an individual right and striking down the gun ban in our nation’s capital

McDonald Case — Signed the pro-gun congressional “friend of the court” brief in the McDonald case supporting the position that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right that protects all Americans

Holder Letter — Signed the letter to Attorney General Eric Holder with 64 other House Democrats expressing opposition to the reenactment of the failed 1994 Clinton ban on semi-automatic firearms and ammunition magazines

BATFE Reform — Cosponsored and voted for legislation to force much-needed reform of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE)

Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act — Voted for the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act that prohibits gun confiscation during states of emergency as happened after Hurricane Katrina

Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act — Voted for the Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act, which would ensure that a person who filed for bankruptcy would not lose their firearms, thereby maintaining the fundamental right to self-defense

Right-to-Carry in Parks — Voted last year for allowing carry license or permit holders to carry and transport firearms for self-defense in national parks and wildlife refuges

Hunting Heritage — Voted to protect hunting, fishing, trapping and recreational shooting on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management