NRA announces endorsement of Emerson for re-election

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson has been endorsed for re-election by the National Rifle Association.

The 8th District Republican, who is seeking her eighth term, announced the endorsement in a news release.

"I'm very honored to have the support of the NRA and of their many members in the Eighth Congressional District," Emerson said in the news release. "In Southern Missouri, hunting and sportsmanship are part of life. So is the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for the defense of our property, our homes and our families. I take defending these rights seriously."

The news release included a call from Chris W. Cox, chairman of the NRA Politcal Victory Fund, for Republicans to choose Emerson over her Republican rival, Texas County farmer Bob Parker, in the GOP primary.

Parker has been campaigning on a theme that Emerson is not conservative enough for the district.