(The Center Square) – With the midterms just over one month away, the National Rifle Association’s national bus tour will stop in Pennsylvania.
Beginning on Saturday, the NRA Institute for Legislative Action’s, NRA-ILA, bus tour visited State College for an all-day tailgate at Beaver Stadium as Penn State faced Wisconsin.
On Monday, the bus tour will head to Harrisburg for an NRA 2A Day at 717 Armory. Tuesday’s visit will include two stops – one in Pittston at Advanced Arms and the other in Coplay at Relic Hunter. The final scheduled stop in the Keystone State will be on Wednesday for a visit to Pennsburg at Saints Logistics.
NRA-ILA said the battleground bus tour will include staff and volunteers at Pennsylvania stops as the organization hopes to “mobilize gun owners in a state where the governor’s race and both chambers of the General Assembly are among the tightest in the country.”
“Gun owners don’t need another polished ad interrupting their favorite show-they need real conversations about what’s at stake in this critical election,” said John Commerford, NRA-ILA executive director. “Voters will decide the future of gun rights in Pennsylvania and across the country, and the NRA is working day and night mobilizing voters to ensure our constitutional rights remain protected.”
“That’s how you build lasting political change: one conversation, one neighborhood, one vote at a time,” he added.
The NRA-ILA described Pennsylvania as a priority because control of the state House and Senate is “razor-thin” and the results in November “will shape Second Amendment policy in Harrisburg and nationally.”
The NRA Political Victory Fund, NRA-PVF, has issued letter grades and endorsements for candidates up and down the ballot in Pennsylvania this cycle.
At the top of the ticket in the Keystone State, the NRA-PVF is backing Republican Stacy Garrity, Pennsylvania’s treasurer, in the race for governor over incumbent Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. The NRA-PVF gives Garrity an “A,” while Shapiro receives an “F” grade from them.
Of the 25 races for state Senate on the ballot this November, NRA-PVF has endorsed candidates in 15 contests. All are Republicans, and some are running in battleground races, including state Sens. Jarrett Coleman, Frank Farry, Tracy Pennycuick, and Rosemary Brown. Although no Democrat running for state Senate in Pennsylvania received an endorsement from the NRA-PVF, they didn’t issue formal support for either candidate in several races, including the 22nd District, where they gave Democratic state Sen. Marty Flynn a “B” grade.
Voters in Pennsylvania will decide on each of the 203 state House seats this fall. Of those races, the NRA-PVF has endorsed 98 candidates.
The association has issued support for some of those candidates in battleground races, including GOP state Reps. Valerie Gaydos, Shelby Labs, and Milou Mackenzie. However, it has decided to give higher grades for several GOP incumbents over their Democratic challengers, but not formally endorse candidates, including the reelection bids of GOP state Reps. Joe Hogan, Kristin Marcell, and Craig Williams.
The only Democrat in Pennsylvania that has support from the NRA-PVF this cycle is state Rep. Frank Burns, who is running for reelection in the 72nd District against Republican challenger Philip Rice.
For Pennsylvania’s 17 U.S. House races up for grabs in a few weeks, the NRA-PVF is backing every Republican incumbent for reelection, with the exception of U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. The association gives Fitzpatrick and his Democratic challenger, Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, both an “F” grade.
The NRA did not specifically respond to a request on how much they are investing into specific races in Pennsylvania this cycle, however, the organization noted that they are using in-person events to “cut through the noise and turn out gun owners across the political spectrum,” while making the case other groups are just using television, radio, and digital advertisements.
Those who attend any of the Pennsylvania stops along this tour will be able to visit the Gun Bus, pick up literature and swag, learn about NRA-ILA FrontLines volunteer teams, and speak with staff about races on the 2026 ballot, according to the organization, while membership sign-ups, renewals, and upgrades will also be available.
The NRA launched its first-ever national Gun Bus Battleground tour earlier this month, with 63-stops planned in 13 states.
