Terri Pickens, the Democrat candidate for governor of Idaho, wants gun owners to believe she is solidly pro-Second Amendment.

But before Idaho gun owners accept that claim at face value, they should take a much closer look at what Pickens has actually said, what she hasn’t said, who she has worked with, and who has endorsed her.

Because there are some pretty significant red flags.

To be clear, whether gun owners ultimately support Pickens is up to them. But if you are a Second Amendment voter who believes Americans have a right to keep and bear arms without government infringement, you deserve to know exactly where a candidate stands before you head to the polls.

An “F” From the NRA

Let’s start with something objective.

Pickens has received an “F” rating from the National Rifle Association.

You don’t have to like the NRA to understand what an “F” means. It is the lowest possible rating.

Pickens wasn’t given a C. She wasn’t given a D.

She received an F.

That raises a very simple question: If Pickens is as solidly pro-Second Amendment as she claims, why did the NRA conclude that her record and/or positions warranted the organization’s lowest possible rating?

That question deserves an answer.

Pickens has tried this same argument before.

When she ran for lieutenant governor in 2022, she told Idaho voters that she wasn’t trying to take anyone’s guns away.

In 2026, she’s doubling down on that message.

But saying, “I’m not going to take your guns” is not the same thing as explaining your position on the numerous gun-control proposals being pushed by Democrats across the country.

And that brings us to Pickens’ recent video.

“Democrats Have Guns”

Pickens posted a video this election cycle responding to criticism she received after running an advertisement showing herself hunting with her dog.

In the video, Pickens attempts to rebut gun owners who questioned whether a Democrat could actually be trusted on the Second Amendment.

Her response should concern anyone who wants to know what she would actually do as governor.

At one point, Pickens responds to criticism about Democrats and the Second Amendment by essentially pointing out that Democrats own guns, too.

Well, yes.

Democrats can absolutely own guns. Republicans don’t have a monopoly on firearm ownership, and nobody should pretend otherwise.

But that’s not the question.

The Second Amendment isn’t about whether someone owns a shotgun or a hunting rifle. It is about whether the government has the authority to infringe upon the people’s right to keep and bear arms.

And that’s where the conversation gets much more interesting.

The Second Amendment Isn’t About Hunting

Pickens also leans heavily on her identity as a hunter and gun owner.

But gun ownership and support for the Second Amendment are not synonymous.

The Second Amendment wasn’t written to protect hunting.

It protects the people’s right to keep and bear arms.

So when a candidate uses a hunting photograph or video as evidence that she is pro-Second Amendment, gun owners are justified in asking a much more important question:

What firearms does she believe law-abiding Americans have a right to own?

That’s the question Pickens still hasn’t answered.

“I’m a Sensible Gun Owner”

Pickens also describes herself as a “sensible gun owner.”

That may sound reassuring to some voters. But it should also prompt some questions.

“Sensible gun laws” and “sensible gun owner” have become common language among gun-control advocates who support restrictions on firearms while maintaining that they are not trying to disarm everyone.

So what does Pickens actually mean?

Does she support an assault-weapons ban?

Does she support magazine-capacity restrictions?

Does she support red-flag confiscation orders?

Does she support universal background checks?

Does she support mandatory waiting periods?

Does she support firearm registration?

Does she support restrictions on commonly owned modern sporting rifles?

These aren’t hypothetical questions. These are among the central gun-policy debates occurring across the country.

And Pickens doesn’t answer them in the video.

Instead, she talks about keeping her firearms locked up and teaching her children how to safely handle firearms. If she has taught her children firearm safety, good for her.

But again, that isn’t what gun owners are asking.

The question isn’t whether Terri Pickens knows how to safely handle a firearm.

The question is what she believes the government should be allowed to do to the firearms and firearm rights of law-abiding Idahoans.

Then There’s the Gun-Control Connection

And this is where Pickens’ “pro-gun” image gets considerably harder to reconcile.

In 2022, Pickens was listed by Moms Demand Action as a volunteer who advanced to the general election.

Moms Demand Action is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, one of the nation’s leading gun-control organizations.

Moms Demand Action has aggressively advocated for numerous gun-control measures across the country, including restrictions on so-called assault weapons, magazine-capacity restrictions, red-flag laws and other firearm restrictions.

This isn’t a group that merely says, “We support the Second Amendment.”

Its entire political operation is built around changing firearm laws to be far more restrictive.

So why was Pickens working with the organization? And what did that relationship mean for her views on gun policy?

Those are fair questions.

And Now Everytown Has Endorsed Her

Then we get to 2026.

Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund has endorsed Terri Pickens for governor of Idaho.

That is significant.

Everytown is one of the country’s most prominent gun-control organizations. It doesn’t exist to defend Idaho’s gun laws or expand Second Amendment rights. It exists to advocate for what it calls “gun safety” policies, many of which involve additional government restrictions on firearms.

Yet this organization has chosen Pickens as its candidate for governor.

That doesn’t automatically prove Pickens supports every single policy Everytown has ever advocated.

But it raises an obvious question:

What does Everytown see in Terri Pickens that makes it believe she is the right person to lead Idaho?

And perhaps even more importantly:

What does Terri Pickens believe about the gun-control policies that Everytown is fighting to enact?

Because Pickens still hasn’t told Idaho gun owners.

Where Does She Actually Stand?

If Pickens wants Idaho gun owners to believe she is a strong Second Amendment candidate, then she should have no problem answering some very basic questions.

Does she oppose an assault-weapons ban?

Does she oppose magazine bans?

Does she oppose firearm registration?

Does she oppose red-flag gun confiscation orders?

Does she oppose mandatory waiting periods?

Does she oppose restrictions on commonly owned modern sporting rifles?

Does she oppose restrictions on law-abiding citizens purchasing and possessing commonly owned firearms?

And does she oppose efforts by the Democratic Party to impose these types of restrictions?

Those answers matter a lot more than whether someone owns a shotgun, hunts with a dog, or teaches their children firearm safety.

Pickens says she is a Second Amendment supporter.

Fine.

Then tell Idaho gun owners what that actually means.

Because the Second Amendment isn’t a hunting accessory. It isn’t a campaign prop.

And saying “I’m a gun owner” doesn’t answer the question.

Idaho gun owners deserve to know whether Terri Pickens would defend their Second Amendment rights, or whether she would simply become another politician who says she supports the Second Amendment while supporting restrictions that gut it.

Her F rating from the NRA, her past connection to Moms Demand Action, and now her endorsement from Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund give Idaho gun owners plenty of reason to ask that question before they cast their ballots.