by J T Stepleton | 2017-10-25

Few political groups attract as much attention as the National Rifle Association (NRA). Obtaining a complete picture of the NRA’s political spending can be tricky, but the National Institute on Money in State Politics periodically explores NRA contributions data to better understand the gun rights giant’s political footprint.

The Institute identified $127.4 million in NRA campaign spending from 2009 through 2016—89 percent of which was spent outside of the traditional campaign finance structure of candidate and party contributions. The NRA has contributed $5.3 million to candidates and $705,683 to political parties since 2009, but spent at least $114 million independently to support or oppose candidates. The NRA also gave $7.4 million to ballot measure committees during this time.

Figure 1: National Rifle Association's Direct Contributions & Independent Spending, 2009–2016

In the past three election cycles, the NRA spent $103.3 million independently on federal elections, and $10.6 million independently on races for state office in 25 states. Over half of the NRA’s federal independent spending occurred in 2016, and almost all of that money was spent on races in which its preferred candidate won. At the state level, the NRA spent $1.8 million independently in 16 states in 2016. The NRA’s peak year for independent spending on state elections was 2014, when about $4 million was spent on elections in a dozen states. And at least 68 percent of the NRA’s independent spending on state elections from 2009 through 2016 was directed at races in which the group’s preferred candidate won.

There was a notable influx of NRA contributions to ballot measure committees in 2016 as well. From 2009 through 2015, the NRA spent $727,752 on four gun-related measures. That all changed in 2016, when the NRA spent $6.7 million, almost all of which went to opposing Question 1, a Nevada ballot measure to strengthen background check requirements.

In addition to their campaign spending, the NRA had a lobbying presence from 2009 through 2016 in 19 of the 31 states included in the Institute’s lobbying expenditure database. The group spent at least $4.3 million lobbying on state policies during that time, including $2.4 million in California.