2026 NRA Election: Incumbent Directors not Nominated by Committee

The National Rifle Association’s annual Board of Directors election season is gearing up. The nominating committee released their report in August and there are 13 incumbents not on their list.

Previously reported, the NRA Nominating Committee for the 2026 Board of Directors election released their report in August 2025. The committee tapped 30 individuals — to fill 25 potential board seats — whom they felt possess the “desired qualities and skills which” would make a good director candidate. There were 13 incumbent directors recommended by the committee. There were also 13 directors whose terms end in 2026 not listed in the committee’s report.

Via correspondence through NRA Secretary John Frazer, a query was put out to the 13 incumbent directors not named by the committee. Of the 13 directors, only one responded to Bearing Arms’ request for comment on the committee’s report.

The following incumbent directors whose terms end in 2026 — not listed by the nominating committee — were contacted via Secretary Frazer:

• Thomas P. Arvas
• Clel Baudler
• J. William Carter
• Patricia A. Clark
• Charles L. Cotton
• Curtis S. Jenkins
• Amy Heath Lovato
• Jay Printz
• Barbara Rumpel
• John C. Sigler
• Danny Stowers
• Judi White
• Eb Wilkinson

The letter asked the directors if they are “still intending on running/are you running via petition?” The letter explained that the coverage would be general in terms and not focusing on any particular issue at the Association. It also observed that “members at large have indicated they are very much so interested in transparency” and that it seems they want to know who’s participating in the election. Directors were invited to be interviewed.

The same day Secretary Frazer forwarded the request, Director Clel Baudler responded.

“So you want to know why I’m not on the ballot?” Director Baudler asked during the telephone interview. “I’m 86 years old, and I asked not to be nominated.” Baudler explained it’s his time to retire and for the membership to “find a younger person to replace” him. Baudler said that he’s been a member of the National Rifle Association since he was 18.

“I served on the Board of Directors for 21 years,” Baudler told Bearing Arms. “It’s the end of my tour next year. It’s been a great, great experience. See, the personalities that we bring on board and what they —  what our organization does for the Second Amendment, and actually, I say for this country, that’s very important.”

12 current board members whose terms end in 2026 declined to comment on the status of their candidacy.

Speaking on background, a current NRA director speculated there are other directors on the list of incumbents not selected by the committee who desire to retire as well. However those claims have not been confirmed by any individual incumbent director on the record.

Prior to Secretary Frazer forwarding the request for comment, attempts were made to reach out to one of the named directors via social media. That request for comment went unanswered.

No members of the Nominating Committee — except Secretary Fraizer who acted as committee secretary at the August 23 meeting and was never named as a committee member in any available documents — have been contacted concerning this coverage or prior reporting on these topics.

Association members should be able to find out soon if any of the remaining directors who were contacted ran a successful petition campaign for ballot eligibility for the 2026 election. Follow-up correspondence requesting the names of all successful petition candidates — regardless of incumbency —- will be sent to NRA leadership once the October 7 deadline has expired. We’ll be offering continuing coverage on the NRA Board of Directors election on an ongoing basis.

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