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.

Richardson was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1927 and served in the United States Navy in World War II.

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 led a group of organizations, including Gun Owners of America, that spent up to $1 million to elect conservative candidates.