NRA member and Pittsylvania County resident Hank Davis presents Rep. Tom Perriello with an NRA hat at the George Washington National Forest in Bedford County.

We reported last month that the National Rifle Association was going to endorse Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Albemarle.

Today, he formally accepted the endorsement.

Below is what Perriello had to say about it. Anyone want to weigh in on what the NRA means in the Fifth District?

Today at a gathering of sportsmen from the 5th district, Rep. Tom Perriello humbly received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Sportsmen’s and Animal Owners’ Voting Alliance (SAOVA). The NRA has a strong history as the nation’s oldest and largest gun rights group.

“I am proud to stand up for the 2nd Amendment, for sportsmen and animal owners, and for the protection of lands for hunting and fishing,” said Rep. Perriello.

During his time in Congress, Rep. Perriello has stood up for hunters and sportsmen in the 5th district as a strong supporter of 2nd Amendment rights, even when it meant disagreeing with members of his own party. As a member of the Congressional Sportsmen Caucus, he opposed the Obama administration’s plan to reinstate the assault weapons ban and co-sponsored key legislation like the National Right-To-Carry Reciprocity bill. In 2008, Rep. Perriello earned an AQ rating from the NRA, the highest rating possible for a non-incumbent. He also defended the NRA against liberal and conservative attacks during the debate on the DISCLOSE Act and joined the NRA’s amicus brief in the Supreme Court case McDonald vs. City of Chicago.

The NRA is a non-profit organization that is recognized as one of the leading defenders of Second Amendment rights.

In its endorsement of Perriello, the Sportsmen’s and Animal Owners’ Voting Alliance said that Perriello “has made a substantial difference during his first term in Washington, fighting for hunting sportsmen and animal owners.” They went on to say: “In contrast, his challenger, State Senator Robert Hurt has a mixed General Assembly voting record.”

MORE ON THE 5TH DISTRICT RACE:
* Oct. 14: Hurt statement on the TV debate
* Oct. 14: Perriello statement on the TV debate
* Oct. 13: Video of the Perriello-Hurt TV debate
* Oct. 12: Cook Political Report shifts 5th to “leans Republican”
* Oct. 12: Who’s the incumbent? Perriello ad makes it sound like Hurt is
* Oct. 12: The politics of electric rates in Southside Virginia
* Oct. 8: Sportsman’s group endorses Perriello
* Oct. 8: New York Times article looks at changing demographics of the 5th District
* Oct. 7: Politico.com looks at the 5th District race
* Oct. 7: The Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne on Perriello
* Oct. 6: Hurt hasn’t signed GOP Pledge to America
* Oct. 6: Perriello endorsed by Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC
* Oct. 6: New poll shows Hurt, Perriello in virtual tie
* Oct. 1: Perriello’s campaign attacks pollster
* Sept. 30: Perriello votes against congressional adjournment
* Sept. 30: Sabato’s Crystal Ball moves 5th District race to “leans Republican”
* Sept. 29: Perriello statement on bill on Chinese tariffs
* Sept. 28: Perriello’s push for funding for Martinsville center clears first hurdle
* Sept. 23: NRA calls Hurt “a true friend,” but apparently no endorsement
* Sept. 23: Perriello says he expects to receive NRA endorsement
* Sept. 23: What Perriello has to say on the small business bill Congress just passed
* Sept. 22: What Perriello has to say on the health care law
* Sept. 20: Overview of the current state of the 5th District race
* Sept. 17: Perriello talks up rural energy efficiency bill he co-sponsored
* Sept. 13: Perriello and Hurt face off in new TV ads
* Sept. 13: More about those polls in the 5th
* Sept. 8: More furor in the Fifth
* Sept. 7: New poll is out in the 5th District, but here’s why you shouldn’t necessarily believe it
* Sept. 2: Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball rates 5th District as toss-up
* Sept. 1: Tea Party bans media from meeting with Perriello
* Sept. 1: Politico story on Perriello’s courtship of the Tea Party
* Aug. 31: Why is Perriello meeting with the Tea Party?
* Aug. 31: Perriello vs. Geithner: Good idea or bad idea?
* Aug. 26: Robert Hurt’s TV ad