Larry Pratt
The 2nd Amendment: Key to the Restoration
Lawrence D. “Larry” Pratt (born November 13, 1942) is the executive director of Gun Owners of America, a United States-based firearms lobbying group, and a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He is also Vice Chairman of the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Pratt was elected to the state legislature of Virginia, as a Republican member of the 1981 session of the Virginia House of Delegates, elected from the 19th District in Fairfax County. He was also a Reagan delegate to the 1980 Republican National Convention.
In October 1992, at Estes Park, Colorado, Pratt was noted as a moderate conservative presenter at a three-day meeting organized by Christian Identity pastor Pete Peters in the wake of the Ruby Ridge incident. In 1994, Pratt unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the Nevada State Assembly as a Libertarian, winning 27% of the vote.
In the 1996 U.S. presidential election, Pratt served as a co-chairman of Pat Buchanan’s campaign. In February 1996, the liberal Center for Public Integrity issued a report that claimed Pratt spoke at meetings organized by white supremacist and militia leaders. Pratt denied any tie to racism, calling the report a smear aimed at hurting Buchanan before the New Hampshire primary election. However, Pratt was forced to resign his position with the Buchanan campaign.
Pratt also addressed delegates at the 1996 national convention of the U.S. Taxpayers Party (renamed the Constitution Party in 1999).
In Northern Ireland in 2004, Pratt accompanied loyalist and paramilitary sympathizer Willie Frazer on a tour of South Armagh whilst calling for the Protestant population to be routinely armed.