The National Rifle Association's political action committee announced Monday that it wants voters to keep all three incumbent Democrats from New Mexico in the U.S. House of Representatives, including Rep. Ben Ray Luján of Santa Fe.

Luján's Republican opponent, Tom Mullins of Farmington, wasn't happy with the endorsement decision by the country's largest gun lobby organization.

"As a 12-year member of the NRA, I'm disappointed," Mullins said. "When I get to Congress, I will vote to support the Second Amendment."

Luján's campaign manager, Aaron Trujillo, said Monday that the NRA backs Luján because he supports the Second Amendment right to bear arms. "It's not a Democratic or Republican issue," he said. "We're Westerners."

Luján's father, New Mexico House Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé, received an "F" grade from the NRA.

The NRA's political action committee said on its website that it endorsed Luján because he supported several pieces of gun legislation. These included a bill to ensure that a person who filed for bankruptcy wouldn't lose their firearms; and a bill to extend federal protection of states' right to allow people with state concealed-carry licenses to carry a concealed weapon in any state.

In the Southern New Mexico congressional district, the NRA PAC endorsed Democrat Rep. Harry Teague over Republican challenger Steve Pearce — even though the group endorsed Pearce in his 2008 bid for U.S. Senate against Democrat Tom Udall. Incumbent Martin Heinrich of Albuquerque also received the NRA's endorsement over Republican challenger Jon Barela.

Newspaper accounts in other states, such as Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Virginia and Indiana, show the NRA made endorsements of Democrats, surprising some political writers. However, Hotline Oncall, an online publication of the National Journal, quoted NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam last week saying, "We do have an incumbent friendly policy."

An NRA spokesman couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

Another national gun-rights group, Gun Owners of America, endorsed all three Republican congressional challengers in New Mexico, giving them all "A" grades. GOA gave Luján an "F" grade, partly for not answering its questionnaire, GOA spokesman Eddie Isler said in a telephone interview Monday. Isler said he wasn't sure which legislation Luján voted on that hurt his GOA score.

On the state level, the NRA has not endorsed in this year's gubernatorial race. Both Democrat Diane Denish and Republican Susana Martinez got grades of "AQ," which means they are considered "pro-gun" candidates based on answers to an NRA questionnaire.

The NRA endorsed Bill Richardson for re-election in 2006.

Democrat Gary King, seeking re-election as New Mexico's attorney general, got the NRA nod several months ago. He got a rating of A-plus. His Republican opponent Matt Chandler got a grade of A.

The PAC this year endorsed some, but not all, incumbent Democrats seeking re-election to the state Legislature. One of these, state Rep. Brian Egolf of Santa Fe, was surprised at the endorsement, asking a reporter whether he was joking when told of the endorsement Monday.

Egolf voted in favor of an NRA-backed bill to allow people with concealed-carry licenses to take guns into restaurants with beer-and-wine licenses.

He later issued a statement saying, "This is not an endorsement I sought. Any group can endorse anyone it chooses. I have opposed, and continue to oppose, positions taken by the NRA. I think we must close the 'gun show loophole' to prevent convicted felons and domestic violence offenders from buying guns, a position at odds with the NRA."

He is running against Republican Brigette Russell in District 47.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com.