The National Rifle Association[1] said Saturday that it was downgrading Republican Gov. Larry Hogan[2]’s ranking and refusing to endorse him — after he signed several pieces of gun control legislation.
Jennifer Baker, a spokeswoman for the NRA, said the organization now rates Hogan a “C” grade on protecting the rights of gun owners. Four years ago, it rated Hogan as an “A-.”
Baker added that the NRA will not be endorsing Hogan this election as it did during his successful run for governor in 2014.
Baker said she couldn’t elaborate on what specifically caused NRA leadership to change its view of Hogan. But Hogan has signed into law several gun control bills, including “red flag” legislation meant to empower law enforcement or relatives to petition a judge to remove firearms from a person deemed dangerous.
Hogan campaign spokesman Doug Mayer said the governor supports the Second Amendment rights of gun owners.
“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.”
About 20 percent of Marylanders own a gun, according to a 2015 study[3].
Baker said the NRA has given an “F” grade to Democrat Ben Jealous[4], who is running against Hogan. The NRA also rated the Democrats’ last candidate for governor, former Lt.-Gov. Anthony Brown, as an “F” four years ago.
Jealous in July released his answers to the 2018 National Rifle Association questionnaire and called on Hogan to do the same. Jealous has repeatedly criticized Hogan for never releasing his answers to the NRA in a four-year-old
