Virginia Lt. Gov. scheduled to speak at NRA fundraising event in Texas

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is scheduled to be the keynote speaker on Friday for a women’s luncheon at the National Rifle Association’s annual conference in Houston, just days after a deadly mass shooting at a Texas elementary school and another at a Buffalo grocery store pushed guns to the forefront of American politics.

Tickets to the event with Earle-Sears, who famously posed with a military-style rifle during her 2021 campaign, range from $250 to $2,500, according to the NRA’s website.

“Be part of this unforgettable gathering of like-minded women as we celebrate the sisterhood we share, hear from impactful speakers, participate in live and silent auctions, and raise funds essential to strengthening the NRA’s fight to protect our freedom,” the NRA’s Women’s Leadership Forum says on a website promoting the event.

On Wednesday, the Democratic Party of Virginia called on Earle-Sears to withdraw from the event in light of the shooting at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School that left at least 19 children and two adults dead.

“Virginians should be in disbelief that our lt. governor would speak at an NRA event after an unconscionable elementary school shooting that left 19 children dead,” DPVA spokesman Gianni Snidle said in a news release that also called on Earle-Sears to denounce the NRA.

The lieutenant governor’s office didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, but Earle-Sears weighed in on the shooting via Twitter Tuesday night.

“An ill-wind is blowing through our land; a wretched evil that destroys,” she said. “Terry and I are praying for the parents, siblings, family members, and friends of Robb Elementary School who are now experiencing the deepest of pains. It is a season we wish on no one.”