U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine, speaks during the annual Androscoggin County Republicans Lincoln Day Celebration at The Dolard & Priscilla Gendron Franco Center in Lewiston on Feb. 16, 2018. (Sun Journal file photo)

AUGUSTA —An adviser to Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin says the Maine congressman will not respond to criticism of his National Rifle Association support leveled by author Stephen King on Tuesday.

Bruce Poliquin, Maine’s 2nd District representative, is an NRA sweetheart. According to the NY Times, the gunners have given him over $200,000 during his political career. Send him your thoughts and prayers in November, but not your vote.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) February 20, 2018

King, who lives in Bangor, called Poliquin an “NRA sweetheart” in a tweet and urged residents to not vote for the incumbent 2nd Congressional District representative in November. Adviser Brent Littlefield said Poliquin is a strong Second Amendment supporter and that the congressman won’t respond directly to a “Hollywood person.”

“There are literally thousands and thousands of National Rifle Association members throughout Maine,” Littlefield said. “And Congressman Poliquin has been happy to have those Maine people’s support. Maine has a long tradition of responsible and peaceful firearms ownership.”

The New York Times named Poliquin as a top congressional recipient of NRA funding. The association reported spending more than $200,000 to help Poliquin’s political career, including $68,000 attacking his opponents, the newspaper reported.

King has posted several tweets about gun policy since a school shooting at a Florida high school last week that left 17 people dead.