TimesLeader.com

October 29, 2008
Bigus upset with NRA posturing

Challenger in 117th District House seat disapproves of NRA endorsing incumbent.

By Rory Sweeney rsweeney@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

For any lifelong hunter-turned-politician, having the National Rifle Association endorse your opponent likely could seem offensive. But Russ Bigus, who’s running against state Rep. Karen Boback for the 117th District seat, is particularly incensed.

“I just want to make certain that everyone knows this is a slap in my face,” he said. “I’m real sensitive about this issue.”

Bigus, running as a Democrat, says it goes back to 2006, when Boback, a Republican, asked him for assistance in filling out the NRA’s candidate questionnaire when she first ran for the seat.

“Before she was an elected official, I don’t think she had a position on the issue,” Bigus said. “I believe, just like she’s always done, she’s voted the party line. She doesn’t know what these issues are.”

But that’s not how the NRA sees Boback’s record. John Hohenwarter, an NRA lobbyist working in Pennsylvania, called Boback “very outspoken as a leader on the issue, particularly as a freshman legislator, and she deserves our support and the support of NRA members in the district.”

He noted Boback championed House Bill 1845, which protects gun owners from seizure in emergency situations. “She not only voted for that, she was instrumental in getting it to the governor’s desk,” he said.

Boback did not return several requests for comment.

Gun rights and hunting issues, however, are not always synonymous. Boback also championed House Bill 1454, which would have transferred the liability for coyote-caused livestock damage from dog-license funds to hunting-license funds. Boback has said she didn’t realize hunters would bear the burden and promised to find different funding.

Hunter-advocacy groups were agitated nonetheless, but Hohenwarter was unconcerned. “That bill, as far as making an endorsement, is not on our radar,” he said. He pointed out that other candidates have received “A” ratings from the NRA but haven’t been endorsed because, when records are equal, the nods go to incumbents.

Other local unsupported candidates were satisfied.

“I’m happy that I received the highest rating they could give,” said Republican Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, who’s running against U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski. Though Barletta said he’s an NRA member and a gun owner, Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, received the endorsement.

In a statement, Kanjorski had called himself a longtime friend of gun owners and promised to protect their Second Amendment rights.

“I’m sure I’ll receive their endorsement when I’m elected,” said Barletta, who received an endorsement from the Gun Owners of America.

Neither U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock Township, nor challenger Chris Hackett received an NRA endorsement, but both were pleased to have received some pro-gun support. Carney noted the NRA contributed to his campaign, while Hackett touted receiving the GOA endorsement and an “A” rating from the NRA.