H. L. Richardson

Hubert Leon "Bill" Richardson (December 28, 1927 – January 13, 2020) was an American gun rights activist and former politician who founded Gun Owners of America (GOA) in 1976 and served as a California state senator from 1966 to 1989.

H. L. Richardson
Member of the California State Senate
In office December 6, 1976 – November 30, 1988
Preceded by	Robert S. Stevens
Succeeded by	Bill Leonard
Constituency	25th district
In office January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1976
Preceded by	Albert S. Rodda
Succeeded by	Lou Cusanovich
Constituency	19th district
Personal details
Born	Hubert Leon Richardson (1927-12-28)December 28, 1927 Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.
Died	January 13, 2020(2020-01-13) (aged 92) California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Barbara Budrow
Children	Doug Richardson, 2 others
Alma mater	Olympic College Cornish College of the Arts
Military service
Branch/service	United States Navy
Battles/wars	World War II

Early life and education

Richardson was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1927 and served in the United States Navy in World War II.^[1][2] He attended Olympic College and the Cornish Conservatory, both in Seattle, Washington.^[3]

Career

Richardson's political career began as a member of the John Birch Society.^[4][5][6] He was elected to the California State Senate in 1966.

During his tenure in the State Senate, Richardson served as the Republican Caucus Chair for several of these years.^[2] He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 1974, having been defeated by incumbent Alan Cranston. He ran for Congress in 1962, and again in 1992, losing to Democrat Vic Fazio.^[7]

Richardson was credited with electing seven members of the California senate between 1978 and 1980. He led a group of organizations, including Gun Owners of America, that spent up to $1 million to elect conservative candidates.^[8]

Richardson was the author of Confrontational Politics, a book that has served as a guide for right-wing political figures, activists, and organizations.^[9]

Personal life

He died on January 13, 2020, at the age of 92.^[10]

Bibliography

• Slightly to the Right. Whittier, California: Constructive Action, 1965.
• What Makes You Think We Read the Bills? Ottawa, Illinois: Caroline House, 1978.
• The Devil's Eye. Dallas: Word, 1995.
• The Shadows of Crazy Mountain. Dallas: Word, 1996.
• Split Ticket. Dallas: Word, 1996.
• Confrontational Politics. Ventura, California: Nordskog, 2010.