California Patriot Profile: Sam Paredes, Second Amendment Champion

A relentless defender of the Second Amendment who shaped California’s gun rights movement for more than four decades

From Los Angeles to the Capitol: A Life of Service

I keep a list on my computer of people whom I would like to feature in one of these profiles. Sam Paredes, of course, was on the list. I had not gotten to it, and then heard the news that Sam passed away just over a month ago, on August 22. When Sam passed, the movement lost a warrior, a family lost a loved one, and I lost a friend.

California lost not just a veteran advocate for the Second Amendment but a figure who embodied resolve in the face of a hostile political climate. For over 43 years, Paredes worked with Gun Owners of California, and for the last quarter century, he served as its Executive Director. His legacy spans hundreds of legislative hearings, countless appearances, and an unwavering conviction that ordinary Californians should never relinquish their constitutional right to self-defense.

Roots in Faith, Family, and Freedom

Born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents, Paredes attended Pepperdine University on scholarship and later studied at the Foundation for Economic Education. His early grounding in limited government and individual liberty guided his career choices and gave him a philosophical foundation for his advocacy.

Before joining Gun Owners of California in 1980, Paredes served in the state’s Trade and Commerce Agency under Governors George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson, gaining firsthand experience with how state policy is made. But his true calling came when he joined GOC, founded by the late Senator H.L. “Bill” Richardson. Paredes would later marry into Richardson’s family, becoming his son-in-law, and he carried forward Richardson’s Confrontational Politics playbook with vigor. H.L. was an inspirational figure to me in my early years in politics, and he taught me about the importance ot sticking to your guns (pardon the pun). I can only imagine how much Sam learned from him.

Oh, you can’t talk about Sam without mentioning his love for the outdoors, whether hunting, fishing, traveling, or hitting that little white ball!

At the Front Lines of the Fight

As Executive Director since 1998, Paredes was one of Sacramento’s most visible pro-gun lobbyists. He logged decades inside committee rooms, testifying, mobilizing grassroots opposition, and countering some of the nation’s strictest gun control proposals. He didn’t shy away from the media either—appearing on Fox News, in The Wall Street Journal, and many outlets that openly opposed his views.

Paredes also co-hosted the Just Guns radio show for many years and regularly spoke to civic groups, churches, and conferences. He trained activists using Richardson’s confrontational methods, believing that compromise in defense of liberty too often meant defeat. His teaching had a lasting impact well beyond California, helping to build a nationwide network of citizen advocates.

Sam was always at the forefront of Second Amendment advocacy. Before his passing, he was railing against this year’s latest batch of gun control bills in the California legislature. He was trumpeting a Ninth Circuit panel that held that California’s ammunition background-check regime violates the Second Amendment, affirming a permanent injunction. For supporters, his calm but determined presence reassured them that even in the nation’s most challenging environment for gun rights, someone had their back.

A Legacy Recognized

Paredes’ influence extended well beyond Sacramento. Tim Macy, President of Gun Owners of America, summed up his passing with these words:

“Sam Paredes was a warrior for freedom, but also a man of deep faith and conviction. He poured his life into the fight for liberty, and his legacy will live on through the countless activists and leaders he inspired. The entire GOA, GOF, and GOC family mourns his loss while rededicating ourselves to the mission he championed.”

Those of us who knew him personally describe Paredes not only as a fierce advocate but also as a man of faith and service. He volunteered as a firefighter and served on his local fire district board. He was deeply rooted in his church community and consistently tied his defense of liberty to a broader moral vision.

Tributes poured in after his passing. A celebration of life was held at Vintage Grace Church in El Dorado Hills. Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, and countless activists and friends honored him as a patriot, mentor, and friend. Even in Washington, lawmakers entered his name into the Congressional Record, praising him as a tireless defender of constitutional rights.

So, Does It Matter?

Sam Paredes matters because he proved that persistence can outlast political tides. For more than four decades, he stood in a state where his cause was under constant siege and still managed to shape the debate, train new leaders, and keep alive a vision of liberty grounded in the Bill of Rights.

In an era when Californians often feel powerless against entrenched one-party rule, Paredes’ life shows what one determined citizen can accomplish. His legacy reminds us that institutions endure, movements outlast politicians, and freedom requires vigilant guardians. The fight for constitutional rights in California did not end with Sam’s passing—but it is stronger because he carried it so far.

I cannot recall writing about something that touched on Second Amendment rights and not running it by Sam for his take until last week. I will miss you, my friend, until we meet again. And to Laurie and his children and grandchildren, my prayers are with you all.

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Two Videos

This is a short but professional video from Gun Owners of America… RIP Sam.

I realize that the vast majority of you reading never met Sam. Here is your chance. This was posted recently, and will really let you “meet” this amazing person.

Bonus: If you want to see three friends of Sam reflect on his passing and their memories of him, you can check out this episode of Gun Guy TV where host Joel Persinger talks about Sam with longtime 2A lobbyist Rick Travis and Pete Elmore.

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Check Out Our Library of 19 Other California Patriot Profiles!

Each week, we profile an exemplary California conservative. Previous profiles have been of the late Andrew Breitbart, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, Political Law Attorney Chuck Bell, Congressman Kevin Kiley, talk radio hosts Dennis Prager and John Kobylt, HJTA President Jon Coupal, actors James Woods, Kelsey Grammer, Adam Carolla and Gary Sinise, Thomas Sowell, Pro-Liberty Attorney Julie Hamill, Dr. Charles Kesler, Former CAGOP Chairman Ron Nehring, Federal Judge Roger Benitez, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow, Victor Davis Hanson, and Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. You can go here to see them all! If you have an idea for a patriot to profile, let me know!

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Something extra! America’s Founding Fathers had a lot to say about the right to keep and bear arms. In fact, they placed this right into our Constitution. Check out what they had to say below, which is a special bonus thank you to our paid subscribers. We invite you to upgrade and break through this firewall, and all of them. Get 100% of our content (instead of 60%) and also support bold, independent, and spot-on analysis. It’s $7/mo or $70/yr. (About half the price Substack recommends!).