NRA releases candidate grades; Graham, Gillum both score F's | Bill Cotterell

Bill Cotterell | Capital Curmudgeon

If you were running for office in Florida this summer, would you want the National Rifle Association’s political endorsement?

The NRA’s Political Victory Fund just published its ballots choices, along with A-to-F grades, for candidates running in the Aug. 28 primaries. The NRA is formally non-partisan but the results were predictable – high marks for Republicans, dunce caps for Democrats on gun issues.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam scored an A-plus, just a hair higher than U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis’ grade of A on second-amendment issues. The Political Victory Fund didn’t make an endorsement for governor, because the marks were so close and the issues don’t align point-by-point – DeSantis dealing with national matters in Congress, Putnam acting on in-state issues as a Cabinet officer.

Another reason for not endorsing when it’s such a close call is, the candidate with the slightly lower mark might win the nomination next month. That could put the NRA in the awkward position of supporting a nominee in the general election it had rated second-best in the primary.

Same story for attorney general. State Rep. Frank White, R-Pensacola, scored an A-plus while former Circuit Judge Ashley Moody got an A rating from the NRA. Again, White had a different set of issues to vote on as a legislator, while Moody’s legal rulings and activities were constrained by law and judicial ethics.

There was no endorsement in the Democratic primary for attorney general, but for a different reason. Rep. Sean Shaw of Tampa and Ryan Torrens of Odessa both had big question marks next to their names – meaning they refused to answer the NRA questionnaire. Democrats generally make a virtue of snubbing the gun lobby – just as Republicans yearn for its support.

In the Democratic primary for governor, Gwen Graham earned an F for her stated positions and actions on guns. She even put out a press release and made a little video showing herself scrawling her contempt for the NRA on her candidate quiz. Mayor Andrew Gillum and Philip Levine also got Fs, while Chris King got a question mark.

Jeff Greene, the Palm Beach county developer who entered the Democratic race late, was not on the NRA scorecard. He’d probably rate an F, though, as he supports a ban on “assault weapons” and closing of the “gun show loophole” for background checks on gun buyers. Greene also speaks admiringly of the post-Parkland gun legislation passed by the Legislature – which has been challenged in court by the NRA.

Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-Lehigh Acres, got the NRA’s endorsement with an A-plus score – followed state Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, who had a B-plus. Former Rep. Baxter Troutman of Winter Haven had a C-minus.

The NRA endorsed U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz of Shalimar (A+) and Ted Yoho of Gainesville (A) along with Republican hopeful Fred Costello of Ormond Beach, who also scored an A. State Rep. Greg Steube of Sarasota also earned an A-plus and the NRA’s endorsement for his congressional campaign.

Republican Mike Miller of Winter Park got an A grade and the NRA endorsement in the three-way primary for the District 7 congressional seat. Former state Rep. Neil Combee of Auburndale and state Rep. Ross Spano of Riverview both got A-plus marks in the District 15 congressional race, and three other Republicans got As, so there was no NRA endorsement.

The NRA doesn’t disclose questions or answers on its questionnaires, although candidates on both sides sometimes grab a little publicity by announcing their allegiance or defiance of the gun lobby.

After the Feb. 14 murders of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School, gun control became a hot topic in the 2018 legislative session. Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, signed a bill that increased the age for buying guns from 18 to 21, banned “bump stocks” that increase the rate of fire, and allowed arming of some school employees.

The NRA imprimatur has been highly prized, especially in legislative races, as proof of a candidate’s conservatism. That helps keep Republican members in line, while assuring enmity of the Democratic caucuses of both legislative chambers for the NRA.

Overall, the NRA handed out 60 A grades, all to Republicans, and 31 Fs, all but one of them to Democrats. One Democratic state House member, Rep. Jared Moscowitz of Coral Springs, was the only member to post an F-minus in the NRA report card and neighboring Rep. Kristin Jacobs — whose district includes Parkland — got an F from the gun lobby.

Bill Cotterell is a retired Tallahassee Democrat reporter who writes a twice-weekly column. He can be reached at bcotterell@tallahassee.com.