The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today launched its first-ever national bus tour, the 2026 NRA’s Gun Bus Battleground Tour, a more than two-month, 13-state campaign to energize and turn out gun owners in key battleground states ahead of the November midterm elections.
On the morning of August 27th, an NRA-branded tour bus departed NRA headquarters and will crisscross the country as the centerpiece of pro-Second Amendment events. NRA-ILA grassroots staff and volunteers will meet voters at gun stores, manufacturing facilities, college football tailgates, community festivals, and other gatherings, distributing materials and encouraging support for candidates who will defend the right to keep and bear arms.
The tour includes 63 planned stops across Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Events will feature appearances by pro-2A candidates running for local, state, and federal office.
“Gun owners don’t need another polished ad interrupting their favorite show. They need real conversations about what’s at stake for the Second Amendment,” said John Commerford, NRA-ILA Executive Director. “The Gun Bus Tour puts NRA staff and volunteers on the ground where it matters most—talking directly with the men and women who form the backbone of this organization. This is how we build lasting political power: one conversation, one neighborhood, one vote at a time.”
“Across the country, the NRA is working tirelessly to advance and protect the rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Doug Hamlin, NRA Executive Vice President and CEO. “Thanks to our incredible staff and millions of NRA members, we have secured major victories that have ushered in a golden age of gun ownership. However, while we are enjoying unprecedented success, if we lose pro-gun majorities in Congress and the statehouses, the incredible gains we have made can be wiped out by the stroke of a pen. That is why it is more critical than ever for gun owners to get activated and vote to protect their sacred, God-given rights.”
The tour’s first public stop is Montana’s Biggest Weekend in Dillon, Montana (September 3–6), the annual Labor Day celebration featuring the Beaverhead County Fair, Dillon Jaycees PRCA Pro Rodeo, livestock shows, carnival, country music concert, and holiday parade.
Additional highlighted stops include:
- September 12 — Iowa City, Iowa: Iowa vs. Iowa State tailgate
- September 19 — Frankenmuth, Michigan
- September 26 — State College, Pennsylvania: Wisconsin vs. Penn State tailgate
- October 3 — Columbia, South Carolina: Kentucky vs. South Carolina tailgate
- October 24 — San Antonio, Texas: National Sporting Clays Championship
The campaign concludes on Election Day, November 3, 2026. NRA-ILA’s goal is to help retain pro-Second Amendment majorities in the U.S. House and Senate while supporting aligned candidates in critical state and local races.
The NRA would like to thank our sponsors: Patriot Mobile, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, Winchester Ammunition, Protect Liberty PAC, and the NRA's Women's Leadership Forum, for their generous support of this critical project and the fight for freedom.
To stay up-to-date on the tour, be sure to follow NRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About NRA-ILA
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action is the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association. NRA-ILA is committed to preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals to purchase, possess, and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
