Hogan Downgraded To 'C' Ranking By NRA. Jealous Gets An 'F'
MARYLAND (WJZ) — Neither Governor Larry Hogan or his opponent, Ben Jealous are receiving endorsements from the NRA, after a statement from the organization on Saturday.
Hogan's downgrade, previously at an "A", shot down to a "C" this year, according to a report by The Baltimore Sun,
A spokesperson for the NRA, Jennifer Baker, said that she couldn't specify why NRA leaders decided to change their views on Hogan and will not be endorsing him, as they did during his 2014 run for governor.
The Maryland governor has already signed several pieces of gun control legislation, such as "red flag" legislation, meant to give law enforcement the power to petition a judge.
"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," said Doug Mayer, a spokesman for the Hogan campaign, to the Sun.
"He will continue to pursue policies that work to achieve those goals." Mayer continued.
For Hogan's opponent, the "F" grade has become a "badge of honor", according to a statement from Ben Jealous.
"The mass shootings, gun-related incidents of domestic violence, and everyday gun violence in neighborhoods across Maryland have cut the lives of too many of our young people short and devastated families for too long," Jealous said. "But the NRA continues to stand in the way of commonsense gun safety measures that could make a difference. We need a governor with the courage to stand up to the NRA, not because it's popular, but because it's necessary to keep us safe."
Both candidates have pledged to reject and money or support from the NRA after a July meeting with students from Great Mills High School in Maryland. The school had been the site of a fatal school shooting, earlier this year.
Students from the school have noted that while Jealous has followed up with them several times since their initial visit, Hogan has not.
Jealous states in the NRA's 2018 questionnaire that while he agrees that the Second Amendment guarantees all law-abiding citizens the right to own firearms, he supports additional restrictions on gun ownership in Maryland such as expanding licensing requirements.
Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook
