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Fusaro and Journey Will Seek NRA Board Ballot Spots

The two board members are collecting signatures after failing to secure a nomination for the 2027 election.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Elections

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Board members Dennis Fusaro and Phil Journey are collecting signatures to gain access to the 2027 NRA election ballot after being bypassed by the nominating committee. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Dennis Fusaro and Phil Journey are actively petitioning for spots on the 2027 NRA board election ballot. The effort follows the NRA nominating committee declining to include them for the upcoming vote.

Why it matters

Supporters are aiming to maintain reform-minded voices on the board to ensure continued oversight of the organization's governance and leadership changes. The election will determine the future direction of the NRA's internal oversight mechanisms.

Candidates qualify for the ballot through member petition signatures, with signers required to have five consecutive years of membership. The deadline for submitting these petitions is October 13, 2026.

The players

Dennis Fusaro

He is an incumbent member of the NRA board who finished 16th in the 2024 election.

Phil Journey

He is an incumbent member of the NRA board who is currently seeking reelection.

Todd Vandermyde

He is a candidate seeking a spot on the NRA board through the petition process.

NRA

The organization is a national advocacy group that recently implemented significant governance and compliance reforms.

The details

Fusaro and Journey were elected to three-year terms on the board in 2024, but they must now bypass the nominating committee to appear on the 2027 ballot. Todd Vandermyde is also pursuing a path to the ballot through the same petition process.

Timeline

  1. May 2024: Reformers were elected to three-year board seats.

  2. April 2026: NRA board adopted executive committee authority limits.

  3. September 2026: NRA adopted new chief compliance officer duties.

  4. October 13, 2026: Deadline for submitting NRA election petitions.

  5. 2027: Scheduled NRA board election.

Political Context

The petition drive follows the implementation of the April 2026 NRA executive committee authority limits, a policy designed to reshape internal governance. Critics of the current leadership argue that these changes necessitate a board composed of independent reformers rather than establishment candidates.

Only NRA members who meet the five-year consecutive membership requirement or hold life member status have the authority to sign these petitions. The outcome of this election will directly influence the oversight of the organization's compliance and executive committee operations.

The takeaway

The petition process serves as the primary mechanism for members to bypass committee-selected candidates in national organizational elections. Members should ensure their current membership status meets the criteria if they wish to influence the upcoming ballot composition.

Further reading

For more on upcoming internal ballots, visit the Elections section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by AmmoLand.

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