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2018 ELECTION SPECIAL NEWSLETTER This election edition of the DSSA newsletter contains the grades and endorsements for the upcoming November 6, 2018, elections here in Delaware. The following information is provided as a service to our members and is designed to provide our members with information as to how we view each of the various candidates for public office in terms of their support for the rights of hunters, sportsmen, shooters and gun owners with special focus on the fundamental right to keep and bear arms. For simplicity, familiarity and ease of use, the grading system used herein is very similar to that used by the NRA-ILA Political Victory Fund.

STATEWIDE DISTRICT 18 DISTRICT 9 DISTRICT 19 (R) Dave Wilson A+ (R) *Kevin S. Hensley A (R) James R. Startzman A Attorney General (D) James Purcell ? (D) Monique Johns ? (D) *Kimberly A. Williams F (R) Bernard V. Pepukayi ? (D) Kathleen Jennings F DISTRICT 21 DISTRICT 10 DISTRICT 20 (R) *Bryant L. Richardson A+ (R) Erin L. Wiener B (R) *Stephen T. Smyk A

State Senate (D) Robert C. Wheatley D (D) *Sean Matthews F (D) John D. Bucchioni ?

DISTRICT 2 DISTRICT 11 DISTRICT 21 State House of (D) Darius Brown ? Representatives (R) *Jeffrey N. Spiegelman A+ (R) *Michael J. Ramone B (D) Paul Thornbug ? (D) Stephanie Barry ? DISTRICT 3 DISTRICT 1 (D) Elizabeth S. Lockman F (D) Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha F DISTRICT 12 DISTRICT 22 (R) *Deborah D. Hudson A- (R) Michael F. Smith B DISTRICT 4 DISTRICT 2 (D) Krista Griffith F (D) Guillermina Gonzalez F (R) *Gregory F. Lavelle A (D) *Stephanie T. Bolden F (D) Laura Sturgeon F DISTRICT 3 DISTRICT 13 DISTRICT 23 DISTRICT 6 (D) Sherry D. Walker ? (D) *John L. Mitchell F (D) *Paul S. Baumbach F (R) *Ernesto B. Lopez A DISTRICT 14 DISTRICT 24 (D) David B. Baker ? DISTRICT 4 (R) James L. DeMartino AQ (R) William W. Dilks AQ (D) *Gerald L. Brady D (D) *Peter C. Schwartzkopf F (D) *Edward S. Osienski F DISTRICT 10 (R) Christine Metzing AQ DISTRICT 5 DISTRICT 15 DISTRICT 25 (D) *Stephanie L. Hansen F (D) Kendra Johnson ? (D) *Valerie J. Longhurst F (R) Bryan K. Rash B

DISTRICT 11 DISTRICT 6 (D) *John A. Kowalko F DISTRICT 16 (R) Albert Ament ? DISTRICT 26 (R) Dan Kapitanic C- (R) Jeffrey Olmstead B (D) Franklin D. Cooke ? (R) Justin Cruice B (D) *Bryan Townsend F (D) *Debra J. Heffernan F (D) *John J. Viola C DISTRICT 16 DISTRICT 7 DISTRICT 17 (R) *Colin R.J.M. Bonini A+ (R) Eric Braunstein ? (D) Melissa Minor-Brown ? DISTRICT 27 (D) Louisa Phillips ? (D) Raymond Seigfried ? (D) *Earl G. Jaques F DISTRICT 18 DISTRICT 17 DISTRICT 8 (D) *David Bentz F DISTRICT 28 (R) Justin King AQ (R) Daniel Zitofsky B (R) Charlotte Middleton AQ (D) *W. Charles T. Paradee F (D) *S. Quinton Johnson ? (D) *William J. Carson A+

DISTRICT 33 DISTRICT 37 DISTRICT 29 (R) Robin R. Hayes AQ (R) *Charles S. Postles A+ (R) *Ruth Briggs King A+ (D) James T. Webb ? (D) William Bush AQ DISTRICT 38

DISTRICT 34 (R) *Ronald E. Gray A+ DISTRICT 30 (R) *Lyndon D. Yearick A+ (D) Meghan M. Kelly (R) W. Shannon Morris AQ ?

(D) Adewunmi Kuforiji A- (D) Charles Groce ? DISTRICT 39 DISTRICT 31 DISTRICT 35 (R) *Daniel Short A+

(R) David L. Anderson A (R) Jesse R. Vanderwende AQ DISTRICT 40 (D) *Sean M. Lynn F DISTRICT 36 (R) *Timothy D. Dukes A+ DISTRICT 32 (R) Bryan W. Shupe B AQ DISTRICT 41 (R) Cheryl Precourt (D) Donald M. Allan ? (R) *Richard G. Collins A+ (D) *Andria L. Bennett A (D) S. Bradley Connor ?

Kent County Levy Court District 2: James Hosfelt A+ Jeffrey Hall ?

Here’s What the Ratings Mean:

Ratings and endorsements are based solely on a candidate’s support of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and do not take into consideration a candidate’s position on other unrelated issues.

A+ A legislator with not only an excellent voting record on all critical DSSA and NRA issues, but who has also made a vigorous effort to promote and defend the Second Amendment.

A Solidly pro-gun candidate. A candidate who has supported DSSA and NRA positions on key votes in elective office or a candidate with a demonstrated record of support on Second Amendment issues.

AQ A pro-gun candidate whose rating is based solely on the candidate’s responses to the NRA-PVF Candidate Questionnaire and who does not have a voting record on Second Amendment issues.

B A generally pro-gun candidate. However, a “B” candidate may oppose some pro-gun reform or support some restrictive legislation.

C Not necessarily a passing grade. A candidate with a mixed record or positions on gun related issues, who may oppose some pro- gun restrictive legislation.

D An anti-gun candidate who usually supports restrictive gun control legislation and opposes pro-gun reforms. Regardless of public statements, can usually be counted on to vote wrong on key issues.

F True enemy of gun owners’rights. A consistent anti-gun candidate who always opposes gun owners’ rights and/or actively leads anti-gun legislative efforts, or sponsors anti-gun legislation.

? Refused to answer the NRA-PVF candidate questionnaire or a candidate who has made contradictory statements or taken positions that are inconsistent with the candidate’s answers to the NRA-PVF candidate questionnaire or previous record. A rating of “?” often indicates indifference, if not outright hostility, to gun owners’ and sportsmen’s rights.

AN URGENT MESSAGE FROM NRA PRESIDENT OLIVER NORTH

We stand at the edge of the precipice of one of the most important elections of our lives. That is the reality we face just days from now. All the freedoms we hold dear are, quite literally, at stake in this election. The enemies of our freedom are highly organized and abundantly funded thanks to a group of super-rich political elites hell-bent on “buying” this election to serve their own agenda. This self-serving cabal of billionaires and their pet politicians have conspired to permanently transform America into a socialist state. They tried their best to win the White House in 2016 and, ever since, they’ve done everything possible to undo that election. Their goal is a clear and present danger! They plan to seize power in Washington by capturing the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate … then crush the NRA, take the White House two years from now, and repeal the Second Amendment. It is an all-out attack against us and our freedom, not with bombs and bullets, but with billions of dollars buying ballots. You know their names: George Soros, Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer—and their lap dog, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. He’s the genius who recently claimed, “We’re not going to make America great again; it was never that great.” When he made that shocking assertion, I was at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France with a group of NRA members, Freedom Alliance supporters and combat-wounded heroes from our current war against radical Islamist terror. We were stunned. More stunning still: not one of the anti-freedom, billionaire-socialist-cabal distanced themselves from Governor Cuomo’s pathetic rejection of American values. Apparently, acknowledging America’s greatness doesn’t serve their agenda. That helps explain why George Soros has pumped tens of millions into far left political candidates and causes; why Michael Bloomberg has vowed to spend $80 million in this election and Tom Steyer says he’s spending at least $110 million—all to plant Democrat-Socialists throughout our government and turn America into a Gun-Free socialist utopia. Only the members of the NRA, and our country’s 100 million gun owners stand in their way. We are the only patriots— proven by history—strong enough, tough enough, and dedicated enough to defeat the big spending liars the one and only way possible—with our votes! On November 6th every one of us must turn out and vote. And every one of us must get someone else out to vote, too. No one sits this election out. The stakes are too high. Every vote is needed. As law-abiding gun owners and Second Amendment advocates, you know the battlefield in this election. You helped win this fight two years ago, and you know our freedom cannot afford to letup this year. Two years ago, it was the NRA—each one of us doing our part—that helped elect one of the most openly pro-Second Amendment Presidents in history. During the past two years, President Trump has demonstrated his strong commitment to protecting our firearms freedom. He has fought back efforts to restrict our rights and nominated not one … but two … pro- freedom judges to sit on the United States Supreme Court. The President’s support for our freedom has driven our opponents and the so-called “main-stream media” absolutely nuts. They’ve protested, ranted and raved … and they’ve organized like never before to take over the U.S. House and Senate. If they win the House, they will spend the next two years trying to impeach the President … and seize the White House in 2020. WE THE PEOPLE are supposed to govern America—not wealthy oligarchs intent on ruling us and stripping away the freedoms we hold dear.

The battle lines are clear and the fight is joined. Their last minute smear against Justice Kavanaugh in an attempt to block his confirmation is just one more indication of their tactics. You … and I mean YOU … are the tip of the spear in this fight to preserve our liberties. You are admired, respected and trusted among your peers and colleagues. Use that credibility to encourage your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers – to spread the word and vote for candidates who support the Second Amendment on November 6th. I urge you to visit www.NRAPVF.org to obtain a list of NRA endorsed candidates in your area. Every single vote by you and other Americans like you can make all the difference in preserving our freedom and saving our nation. Please stand with me in making that difference. Do everything you can to help us win this election battle. VOTE! Semper Fidelis,

Oliver North

VOTE FREEDOM FIRST! – WHAT DOES IT MEAN? By John C. Sigler, NRA Past President

Years ago, union workers were being told by their union bosses to “Vote Union First”. Unfortunately, those same union bosses were in bed with far-left, anti-gun politicians and were using their positions as union leaders to deliver votes for corrupt politicians who cared nothing for the workers, cared only for themselves, and who could always be counted upon to vote against the union workers’ individual rights to keep and bear arms. To counter these corrupt and self-serving union bosses and their political cronies, NRA-ILA coined the slogan “Vote Freedom First”, reminding those same gun-owning union members that their freedom and their rights were in jeopardy if they voted the way their union bosses told them to vote. Since that time, the slogan “Vote Freedom First” has come to mean “Vote for the person who will protect, defend and expand your God-given right to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes, and place all other considerations behind the cause of Freedom”. And that makes sense when you think about it. Logic tells us that if we do not have our freedom, nothing else matters. And we all know that a man or woman whose government trusts them to keep and bear arms is a “citizen” whereas anyone whose government distrusts those who are armed and takes measures to disarm them are merely “subjects”. Logic and history also tell us that if a politician won’t respect and protect your God-given right of self defense and your fundamental right to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes, then, of course, (s)he won’t respect you as a human being nor will (s)he respect the rest of the Rights contained in the Bill of Rights, or any of the other protections and governmental limitations contained in the Constitution. In other words, that politician cannot be expected to treat you and your loved ones as “free citizens” and has no understanding for, nor even a modicum of love of, the promise of freedom contained in our Founding Documents. When we use the slogan “VOTE FREEDOM FIRST” in this DSSA News and elsewhere, we are asking you to place your trust in those politicians who have proven that they trust you and believe in the promise of individual freedom found in our Bill of Rights. We are saying to you, place your freedom in the hands of those who have promised and/or proven that they will stand with you and your family against those who would deprive you of your freedom and your right to keep and bear arms. Without Freedom we have nothing. Without Freedom we are not Americans. Without Freedom we have nothing to pass on to future generations. And without Freedom we are merely subjects to be ruled rather than citizens enjoying the promise of a government “of the People, by the People and for the People”. We have all heard the quotation from Ben Franklin wherein he is reported to have said that “Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety deserves neither Liberty nor Safety”. Liberty is Freedom. The call to “Vote Freedom First” is really a call to put Liberty first and to vote for those who understand that true “safety” cannot be purchased by sacrificing Liberty and Freedom on the alter of expediency or political correctness. So, please Vote Freedom First – vote for those who have proven that they deserve your vote and will always put Liberty and Freedom first, on your behalf. Your vote for freedom is very important, indeed - PLEASE - Go to the polls on November 6th and VOTE FREEDOM FIRST!

National Popular Vote – Another Anti-Gun Threat and Another Reason to Vote Freedom First!

By John C. Sigler, Esquire

The Constitution is a remarkable document that has endured since 1789. It is the product of careful deliberation and numerous compromises, balancing the rights and interests of large states versus small states, urban states versus rural states, north versus south, commercial versus agricultural, maritime versus heartland. One such important compromise concerned presidential elections. The Electoral College was designed to protect the interests of all the states and was designed to give true meaning and strength to our Republic by avoiding the potential for tyrannies of the majority. Since the founding of the Republic, candidates have needed a majority of votes in the Electoral College (270) to win the presidency. Each state is represented in the Electoral College with the number of votes equal to its number of Representatives in Congress plus its number of Senators (two for each state). The District of Columbia also receives three electoral votes. Through the mechanism of the Electoral College, the rights of the various states and the overall health of the Republic are protected from the potential for tyrannies of the majority of the kind feared by the Founders. As one of the smallest states, Delaware has but three (3) electoral votes. California, the largest state, has 55 electoral votes. With the exception of Maine and Nebraska, every state awards all of their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote within their state. Thus, to win the presidency, a candidate must not only appeal to a wide number of voters but also a majority of voters in a large number of states across the country, ensuring that every state plays a role in selecting the Commander-in-Chief, and that the president enjoys support from a broad and diverse coalition, not just a few large population centers - as the Framers intended. For reasons of perceived political gain, our “friends” on The Left are now calling for states to award their electoral votes based upon which candidate wins the national popular vote rather than on which candidate actually wins the popular vote within that state. Thus, their plan is for Delaware to award its three electoral votes, not to the candidate who actually wins Delaware, but to the candidate who wins the national popular vote. This scheme is nothing new. In the days, months and years leading up to the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections, Delaware's General Assembly considered but rightfully rejected the so-called “National Popular Vote” scheme which would have fundamentally changed the presidential election process, greatly undermining and significantly diminishing Delaware’s role in that process - all without coverage or discussion in the press. Now, as the 150th Delaware General Assembly is about to be chosen, Delaware’s left-wing socialists and so-called “progressives” are once again gearing up to strip Delaware of its voice, and in the process attack your right to keep and bear arms. If you look hard enough, listen closely enough and closely question those running for public office under the “progressive banner”, you will see that the evidence is there and that the stage is being set in preparation for the 2020 presidential election – an election in which the Radical Left wants to elect someone like Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton to the presidency, all devoted “gun grabbers”, and all of whom would pack the federal courts with the likes of Ruth Bader Ginsberg and John Paul Stevens, both of whom have called for repeal the Second Amendment. The State legislators you are electing on November 6th to Delaware’s House and Senate will decide Delaware’s fate, the fate of the Republic and perhaps the fate of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. If they have their way, Delaware’s anti-gun far-left socialists and so-called “progressives”, could, with a simple majority vote of both Houses of the 150th Delaware General Assembly, set the stage for a “left-coast” takeover of the presidential election in 2020, and those beyond – and we all know what that would mean in terms of your right to keep and bear arms, and it isn’t good. The disadvantages of a national popular vote system are readily apparent, even to the casual observer. First and foremost, it robs smaller states, such as Delaware, of having any practical effect on the election for president. More importantly, it robs Delawareans of their intended vote. Ironically, while Delaware has generally been in line with the national election results, if the National Popular Vote scheme had been in force in 2004, Delaware’s three electoral votes would have gone to George Bush, even though John Kerry won the State of Delaware, thus thwarting the will of the people. With less than one million residents, Delaware has fewer voters than many large cities. The proposed system would allow candidates to ignore the will of smaller states and to concentrate strictly on large population centers (big cities) to rack up a larger national vote total. This approach becomes especially problematic when you consider other parts of the country, such as Philadelphia and Indianapolis, where there are reportedly more registered voters enrolled than the recorded adult population of the city; cities like Baltimore where even dead people vote more than once; and cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco where illegal aliens regularly (and illegally) vote with impunity. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution, December 7, 1787. We are justly proud of our place in constitutional history. We must not casually relinquish our voice in the national election. We must not allow other states and other voters to determine Delaware's role in the Electoral College.

Simply put, the so-called National Popular Vote scheme is bad for small states like Delaware. It would reduce the value of every Delawarean’s vote in a presidential election by approximately 44%. Our voices and our votes would be diluted and lost in the cacophony of the larger states, and especially the larger cities where election corruption and voter fraud are commonplace. More importantly, the National Popular Vote scheme would do violence to the delicate balance of diverse state interests addressed by the Founders in their quest for a union of equally sovereign states, not just through the Electoral College, but in many other aspects of our Constitution, including the 9th and 10th Amendments. This scheme ignores the intent of the Founders to avoid the potential for tyrannies of the majority so often found in pure democracies, as witnessed by their contemporaneous writings and by the Representative Republic they created. The Founders intentionally created a sophisticated and complex system of checks and balances at all levels. The National Popular Vote scheme removes one of those checks, upsets that delicate balance, and ignores the historical reality that our federalist union is a creature of the States wherein each State voluntarily relinquished a modicum of sovereignty to create a Union, while retaining the balance of their sovereignty for themselves. If the so-called “progressives” have their way and Delaware adopts the National Popular Vote scheme already adopted by a minority of left-leaning states, each State would be effectively barred from asserting the will of the majority of the people within their borders; barred from exercising their sovereignty as individual states within a Union of United States; and barred from exercising the rights each state has exercised as individual members of the Union since its inception. This scheme does fatal violence to the independent concepts of federalism and republicanism which served as the fundamental underpinnings upon which our Constitution and our Republic were conceived and built. Why would the left-wing “progressives” and would-be “democratic socialists” want to destroy the very underpinnings of our Republic, you ask? The answer is simple – POWER – raw, unbridled political power – the power to impose upon you their left- wing, socialist and totalitarian anti-gun and anti-freedom agendas – and that, of course means the total and complete disarmament of America’s law-abiding, God-fearing, freedom-loving citizenry. In 2008, Barack Obama promised to fundamentally change America – and in many ways he succeeded. If the National Popular Vote becomes the law of the land and the inherently corrupt urban areas of our country are allowed to elect a president without the consent of the rest of the country, American Freedom is doomed and Obama’s promise of “fundamental change” will become reality. Your vote on November 6th could determine the fate of the Republic. If you elect far-left, socialist-leaning, totalitarian radicals calling themselves “progressives” to our beloved Delaware General Assembly, then you will be electing a legislature that could and probably will destroy our beloved Republic by adding Delaware to the list of National Popular Vote states. If they say they are “progressives” or that they will support the so-called “progressive agenda” – believe them. And vote against them. By their own admission, the so-called “progressive agenda” or “democratic socialist agenda” includes the destruction of the Electoral College, the destruction of our Republic, and the repeal of the Second Amendment. November 6th is a red-letter day in Delaware this year. It is a day when you can make a difference – when you can help save our Republic and when you can save the Second Amendment. If you love Freedom, you believe in our Constitution, and you believe in America, you must vote on November 6th – and you must Vote Freedom First by casting your ballot only for those legislative candidates who share your values and who have been endorsed by NRA and your own DSSA, or whose “grades” indicate that they too believe in our Republic, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and the God-given right of self-defense. Please, prove that you are a patriot, prove that you love America, and prove that you love our Republic by voting for those who believe as you do – and by voting against the socialists and far-left “progressives” who would destroy everything you love – vote for those who will uphold, protect and defend the Constitution as written – Vote Freedom First on November 6th.

One Vote – Your Vote “It’s All Your Fault!” One vote – your vote ---- “It’s all your fault!” Or at least it could be….

Every election year someone loses an election by just one vote – and someone wins, by just one vote. In both 2014 and 2016, there were several elections right here in Delaware that were one and lost by one, two or just a few votes – in one case, the election went all the way to the Supreme Court – over just one vote. Imagine what it would be like to wake up the morning after the election to learn that some rabid anti-gun, freedom-hating, gun-grabbing politician won by just one vote – and your vote – the one you didn’t cast, was the one vote that could have made the difference – it’s all your fault! Imagine what it would be like to wake up the morning after the election to learn that some anti-gun politician won by just one vote – your vote - because you just couldn’t bring yourself to vote for “the other guy”….it’s all your fault! It’s all your fault – if you don’t Vote Freedom First, and the Bad Guy wins.

If you call yourself a “patriot” and you didn’t Vote Freedom First… you’re lying to yourself… you’re not a patriot - and it’s all your fault! Every vote counts – your vote, my vote, her vote, his vote – all votes count and every vote could mean the difference between who wins, who loses and whether Freedom is preserved or tyranny prevails. It’s easy! All you have to do is vote for the candidates endorsed by NRA and/or DSSA. If there is no endorsement, vote for the candidate with the highest grade from NRA and/or DSSA. And if they have the same grade and there’s no endorsement, vote for the person whom you believe will stand with NRA and DSSA when times are tough and the votes are hard – vote for the candidate whom you believe will use his or her office to also Vote Freedom First, the first time and every time. Go to the polls on November 6th – go into the booth and vote in every race – from U.S. Senate to “dog catcher” – from top to bottom – choose freedom over tyranny, choose “good guys” over “bad guys”… vote in every race… do your duty, be a patriot… Don’t let it be your fault – Vote Freedom First!

DELAWARE STATE SPORTSMEN’S ASSOCIATION’S

2ND AMENDMENT FREEDOM BANQUET Modern Maturity Center, Dover, Delaware January 31, 2019 Doors open @ 5:30pm – Dinner @ 7 pm FEATURING

Chris W. Cox Executive Director NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action

Silent Auction Door Prize (Pistol) Limited Live Auction

$50 per person Tickets: Call Carolyn Thompson 302-697-6769 Defending the Rights of Delaware’s Hunters & Gun Owners SINCE 1968