Actor Heston Ousts NRA Heir Apparent

Actor Charlton Heston, touted as a Moses to lead the National Rifle Assn. out of a wilderness of bickering and strife, was elected first vice president of the gun organization. Heston, 72, ousted incumbent Neal Knox in a climactic board vote that followed a year of heated political maneuvering. The loss was a major reversal for Knox, 61, a gun-issues writer and former NRA chief lobbyist from Rockville, Md. Three months ago, he seemed on the verge of replacing Wayne R. La Pierre Jr., the group’s top official and administrator. Heston made a surprise run for a board seat during the NRA’s national convention, held over the weekend in Seattle, and won with nearly 74% of the vote.