NRA Endorses Tate Reeves For Lt. Gov. Over Tea Party Challenger

The NRA endorsed Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves for re-election last week, giving him an A+ rating and saying the State Senate has taken “critically important steps” to protect the Second Amendment under Reeves’ leadership.

Reeves is being challenged by conservative Alisha McElhenney in the Republican primary for Lt. Governor, which takes place on August 4th. McElhenney is a newcomer to politics and is considered a long shot candidate in the primary.

Reeves’ record on gun issues has generally been decent, although he has occasionally been accused of letting pro-gun bills languish in the Senate to settle political scores. He supported two pro gun bills earlier year, and recently backed Gov. Bryant’s executive order to allow national guardsmen to carry at certain recruiting centers.

On non-gun issues, Reeves has been a frequent target of conservatives and Tea Party groups. Earlier this year, he proposed a study group to scrutinize Common Core standards that the Brookhaven Tea Party called a “waste of tax dollars” that would “enrich Haley Barbour’s friends.”

He has also clashed frequently with Chris McDaniel, who openly backed Reeves’ opponent Billy Hewes III in 2011. McDaniel has frequently accused Reeves of preventing bills he supported from moving forward.