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September 25, 2024
NSSF Government Relations Team Profile: Darren LaSorte
NSSF’s Government Relations Team is working hard on behalf of the entire firearm and ammunition industry, both at the federal level and at state capitals across the country. To give our members a better understanding of who is fighting for their businesses and Second Amendment rights every day, NSSF will periodically publish a Government Relations Team member profile. September’s NSSF GR Team profile is for Darren LaSorte, NSSF Director for Government Relations – State Affairs, South Central Region.
1) What is your favorite hunting or recreational shooting sports activity?
I was born in Montana, so I was shooting prairie dogs with a Stevens single-shot .22 rifle when I was four or five years old. I carried that rifle with me pretty much everywhere I went, and it taught me many lessons associated with individual responsibility and safety. Hunting has always been my greatest life passion. I have been fortunate enough to have hunted Africa seven times, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Alaska and about 35 other states. Since hunting sheep in the mountains of Alaska and northern Canada is prohibitively expensive, I would have to say that hunting whitetail deer while spending cold nights in a tent is my favorite activity.
2) How did you become interested in professionally advocating for pro-firearm industry policies and Second Amendment rights?
When I was in high school in Tacoma, Washington, two friends and I were robbed at gunpoint by a group of adult Crip gang members. I was helpless throughout and that night I made two promises to myself. First, I would never be that helpless again as long as I lived. To keep this promise, I have carried a self-defense firearm nearly every day of my life since it became legal for me to do so when I was 18. I have also taken hundreds of hours of the best shooting and self-defense training available in the country and shot competitively in IDPA. The second promise, however corny it may sound, was that I would do everything in my power to ensure other people had the opportunity to choose self-protection over helplessness.
This second promise is likely what led me to start my own Second Amendment advocacy organization in Arizona around 1994 called Citizens for Self-Defense. I was lobbying for the Arizona Supreme Court at the time and would work Second Amendment issues at the Capitol whenever I was able. Ultimately, this led me to leave my beloved Arizona in 1999 and begrudgingly head to Virginia to lobby for the NRA. In this capacity, we did a lot of great work for freedom until I finally had to leave for health reasons in 2013. The demands of the job had taken their toll and doctors told me I needed to take a break for a while. This lasted until 2019 when I felt I had to get back into the fray with NSSF. I could not be happier to be a part of the team.
3) Describe your role within NSSF to the firearm industry community.
My role within NSSF is to represent all industry interests within the governments of seven states, generally located in the south-central part of the country. They are Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Most of my time is spent in state capitol buildings lobbying on behalf of legislation that is favorable to the firearm industry and against legislation that is detrimental to it. We also work on policy matters with state game departments, governors, attorneys general and county and city officials.
4) What is your favorite aspect of your role with NSSF while interacting with industry partners?
My favorite aspect of my role interacting with industry partners is hearing from those entrepreneurs who have risked everything to start their own business. The challenges, regulations and threats abound, but they push forward to ensure that good, law-abiding citizens have what they need to exercise their Constitutional rights. It makes me feel great when they tell stories about all the support they receive from NSSF staff. This just happened when I visited Bilson Arms outside of Lafayette, Louisiana. The General Manager, Jeremy Buhr, told me he talks with the NSSF Membership Division at least once a week and said the guidance has been truly invaluable.
5) Describe your favorite “win” from your role/advocacy on behalf of the firearm industry.
My favorite “win” was helping to pass the Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination (FIND) Act in Texas in 2021. The law prohibits large financial service providers like banks, insurance companies and software providers from entering into state and local government contracts if they have discriminatory policies against members of the firearm industry. Banks like Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America have lost billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded work as a result. Our wins there and in other states have been the leading force in getting these “too big to fail” social warriors to end their woke, harmful policies of discrimination that handicap our members who serve in a constitutionally-necessary industry in America.
6) What’s a favorite hobby or recreational activity outside of hunting or shooting sports?
This one might be impossible for me to answer. It would have to be a tie between bass fishing and driving race cars on the road courses around Dallas. Bass fishing is certainly less expensive, but probably not quite as much fun.
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