Gun Owners of America (GOA)

GOA traces its origins to California in the mid-1970s, when the political climate around gun rights in the state was deteriorating fast. H.L. "Bill" Richardson, a Republican state senator from California, had already been watching the legislative left chip away at firearms ownership for years.

In 1975, a bill to ban all handguns in California gained serious momentum — backed by elected officials and mainstream media. Richardson mobilized gun owners statewide through direct mail, helped kill the bill, and in doing so created the organizational blueprint he'd use nationally.

National Expansion

Gun Owners of California came first, then Gun Owners of America followed shortly after. GOA was officially founded on November 9, 1976. Richardson brought to the effort a background that was equal parts political strategist and outdoorsman — he'd been elected to the California State Senate in 1966 alongside Ronald Reagan's gubernatorial win, chaired the Senate Fish and Game Committee, and served on the NRA Board of Directors for over a decade before concluding that the NRA's willingness to cut deals was a structural problem, not a tactical one.

Richardson's philosophy was laid out explicitly in his book Confrontational Politics, which argued that political fights are contests of competing ideology — not negotiations to be managed. That worldview became GOA's operating doctrine.

Leadership Transition

He remained chairman until retiring in 2017 at age 89. He passed away on January 13, 2020, at 92.

Tim Macy, who had been on the board since the organization's founding, succeeded Richardson as chairman. Erich Pratt serves as Senior Vice President and primary national spokesman, having held multiple roles within GOA over more than three decades. John Velleco serves as Executive Vice President, previously directing federal affairs for the organization.