The impact of the NRA on Tennessee politics

Several bars along Broadway posted signs welcoming NRA members and some bars also posted no guns allowed. (Photo: Shelley Mays/The Tennessean) Several bars along Broadway posted signs welcoming NRA members and some bars also posted no guns allowed. (Photo: Shelley Mays/The Tennessean)

By The Tennessean May 5, 2015 5 min read

by Dave Boucher

The number of homes with a gun might be declining, but the power of the National Rifle Association across the country and in Tennessee certainly is not.

The gun-rights advocacy organization boasts roughly 5 million members nationwide, including an estimated 100,000 in Tennessee, said NRA spokeswoman Jennifer Baker. They have influential lobbyists at the state Capitol, and a track record of picking off at least one influential member of the Republican party who stepped out of line.

Here’s a quick look at the impact of the NRA on Tennessee politics.

Why the NRA matters