In “Let’s Talk About the 2027 NRA Elections,” Todd Vandermyde of the Freedom’s Steel channel asks eligible NRA members to sign petition slates by October 13 so he, Dennis Fusaro, and Judge Phil Journey can appear on the 2027 board ballot after the nominating committee passed them over.
Vandermyde, a former NRA contract lobbyist and Illinois gun-rights worker, is finishing a one-year board term filled after a resignation. He sits on Clubs and Associations, Legislative Policy, and Legal Affairs (as the only non-lawyer). He says this is the third time the nominating committee has skipped him, and he frames it in Chicago terms: they do not want “nobody that nobody sent.” He wants fighters from the trenches, not people chosen for rolodexes and checkbooks.
He says current leadership, including incoming president Mark Vaughn, is stabilizing a listing fiscal ship, but money is not the whole job. The Association still has to take back ground lost in blue states and lead instead of making excuses. He favors a membership-driven Second Amendment mission over a donor-and-business model. He supports a smaller board in principle—76 members act like a legislature—but voted against a reduction amendment because it was rushed in an election cycle. He would rather let vacancies go unfilled.
Fusaro, he says, raised money to challenge Virginia’s magazine and “assault weapons” ban and had already been working the state constitution’s militia clause with legal scholar Edwin Vieira. Journey was one of the original Four for Reform, finished in the top five in 2024, and was shunned after demanding an independent examiner in the NRA bankruptcy.
Eligible voters are life members or annual members of five-plus years. Sign the digital petitions with an NRA number. In February, he wants a bullet ballot so those votes are not diluted. He also notes a recent TIA (ministroke) that cleared, and he plans more videos on board work without breaking fiduciary duty. Deadline: October 13.
Here’s what Todd sent me:
For 30 plus years a large chunk of my life has been defending the Second Amendment and protecting gun owners rights. A year ago, I was appointed to fill a vacancy on the NRA Board and then elected to a 1 year term this past spring.
Getting on the Board became a priority when after the debacle of WLP, and seeing Illinois and other blue states being left behind, I knew there was a better way. Since getting on the Board I’ve seen a lot, learned a bit and what I know is that the only way we are going to turn the NRA back into the 800 pound gorilla that it could be.
NRA needs a good fiscal foundation. The current leadership is righting that listing ship. But we need the fortitude to take back the ground that we have lost. But there is much more work to be done beyond fixing the finances. “Timidity puts obstacles in your path, boldness eliminates them.” Rather than make excuses, NRA should be leading the charge. But it looks like the old ways are sinking back in and they don’t want nobody, nobody sent.
So we need you help in two ways; if you are an eligible NRA voter, sign the petitions at the links below. The first step is to get good people on the ballot. Second is to vote a bullet ballot this February when the NRA ballot comes out in the magazine. That way you’ll maximize your vote and help the good guys set the course for a stronger NRA. We have until 10/13 to gather the required number of signatures to get on the ballot.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
Todd Vandermyde
The NRA is at an inflection point and while reformers have control, there is more that needs to be done. And the only way to get it done is to support people who are willing to come in and make the changes necessary to make NRA the 800 pound gorilla that it needs to be. By supporting the people listed below, you can make that happen.
In order to sign the petitions you need to be a voting member which means a life member or an annual member with 5 years of continuous membership.
Todd is serving a one-year term on the Board of Directors. Todd brings the experience of having fought in the trenches in a blue state for gun rights as well as serving as president of the largest gun club in Illinois. He asks the questions that others either don’t think of or are too timid to ask. He lives and breathes the Second Amendment and ways to advance it. Among the board committees Todd serves on are Legal Affairs and Legislative Policy. Having nominated Todd twice for the Board, I can say without reservation he has my full support and we need people like Todd on the Board.
Dennis has also led the effort to raise money to challenge the Virginia magazine and “assault weapons” ban in Virginia state court. While that effort lost at the initial level, I think it has a chance to go further. This was not just a spur of the moment effort by Dennis. As early as last year he was arranging conference calls with legal scholar Dr. Edwin Vieira to lay the groundwork for challenging the Virginia law based upon their state constitution’s militia clause.
If you are a voting member of the NRA, I’d urge you to use the link below to sign Dennis’ petition.
Huey was elected to a one-year term on the Board of Directors in April. He is the executive director of the Colorado Shooting Sports Association and has brought new life to that organization. Before being elected to the Board, Huey served with me on the Membership Committee and I thought he advanced effective ways to reinvigorate our membership recruiting efforts. I endorsed him in the 2026 election and would be proud to do it again. He is now also serving on the Legislative Policy Committee with me where he will be bringing, like Todd above, the experience of fighting for rights in a blue state. Huey may be the youngest director on the Board but far from the least experienced.
Chuck is currently the Director of State, Local, and International Affairs at the Veterans Administration. In years prior to that he served as a Senior VP for Government Affairs for the non-profit Securing America’s Future Energy among other such positions. Much more importantly, he worked for NRA-ILA for almost 17 years where he served alternately as Director of State and Local Affairs and as Director of Federal Affairs. To say he would be a valuable addition to the Board is an understatement. Finally, he is assisting in raising funds for the Virginia Militia Clause lawsuit which I recently wrote about.
