Blake David Moore (born June 22, 1980)
is an American politician and former diplomat from the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. He is the
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for , serving since January 2021.
Early life and education
Moore was born and raised in
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth ...
. He attended
Ogden High School
Ogden High School is an Art Deco secondary school located in Ogden, Utah, educating students in grades 10–12. Operated by the Ogden City School District, Ogden High enrolls approximately 1,250 students each year. The graduation rate has increa ...
, graduating in 1998.
During high school, he was a quarterback for the football team. In 1997, he won the
Wendy's High School Heisman
The Heisman High School Scholarship in the past known as Wendy's High School Heisman Memorial Trophy Award (also known as the Wendy's High School Heisman), named after former college football player and coach John Heisman, is a prestigious award ...
.
He is an
Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...
.
After graduating from high school, Moore enrolled at
Utah State University
Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
on a football scholarship. His freshman year roommate was American-born Azerbaijani
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
player
Spencer Nelson
Spencer Howells Nelson ( az, Spenser Hauels Nelson, born July 11, 1980) is an American-born Azerbaijani naturalized former professional basketball player. At 6'8", he played at both small forward and power forward, although he was mainly considere ...
. During his freshman year, Moore's football scholarship was rescinded by a newly-installed football coach after he left to serve as a
missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
.
After returning from his mission, Moore transferred to the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in behavioral science and business. He earned a master's in public policy and administration from
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
.
Career
Moore briefly served as a
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is the primary personnel system used by the diplomatic service of the United States federal government, under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of over 13,000 professionals carryi ...
officer in the
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...
, and worked as a business consultant for the Cicero Group, a management consulting firm based in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2020
In February 2020, Moore declared his candidacy for in the
2020 elections.
In a field of 12 primary candidates, Moore advanced out of the Republican nominating convention in second place, together with
Weber County Commissioner Kerry Gibson. Two other candidates,
Davis County Davis County is or was the name of the following counties in the United States:
*Davis County, Iowa, named in honor of Garrett Davis, a Congressman from Kentucky
*Davis County, Utah, named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion
*Cass ...
commissioner Bob Stevenson and
Kaysville
Kaysville is a city in Davis County, Utah, Davis County, Utah. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield metropolitan area. The population was 27,300 at the time of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, with an estimated population of 32,390 in 2 ...
mayor Katie Witt, also secured their spot in the primary by gathering signatures. During the party nominating process, Moore was criticized for not living within the congressional district. At the time, he resided on the east bench of Salt Lake City, 15 miles outside the district. Congressional candidates are not required to live inside the district they represent, only in the same state. Moore then won the four-way June 30 Republican primary with just over 30% of the vote.
In the general election, Moore defeated Democratic nominee Darren Parry with 69.5% of the vote to Parry's 30.4%. He took office on January 3, 2021, marking the first time an incumbent had not run in 18 years and maintaining Republican control of the district since 1980. Moore has said that despite being elected to one of the most powerful political bodies in the world, the title he most prizes is "Little League coach".
2022
Moore faced two primary challengers, Tina Cannon and Andrew Badger. On May 15, State Senate President
Stuart Adams endorsed Moore in an editorial in the
Deseret News
The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...
.
Tenure
Moore voted against the
second impeachment of Donald Trump.
On May 19, 2021, Moore voted for bipartisan legislation to establish the
January 6, 2021 commission
The National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex, known colloquially as the January 6 commission, was an unsuccessful proposal to create a commission that would have investigated the January 6 Uni ...
meant to investigate the
storming of the U.S. Capitol. The bill to establish this commission was blocked in the Senate. House Republican Leader
Kevin McCarthy
Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as House Majority Leader under spea ...
had earlier advocated for congressional action to form such a commission on January 13, stating that "
e thoughta fact-finding commission ... would be prudent." Moore voted against the currently operating
United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack
The United States House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (the January 6th Committee) is a bipartisan Select or special committee (United States Congress), select committee of the U.S. House of ...
.
Moore was among the few House Republicans who voted to keep
Liz Cheney
Elizabeth Lynne Cheney (; born July 28, 1966) is an American attorney and politician who has been the U.S. representative for since 2017, with her term expiring in January 2023. She chaired the House Republican Conference, the third-highest p ...
as conference chair both times a vote was held. In an interview with the
Deseret News
The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...
editorial board, Moore stated he felt no pressure to vote one way or another from Republican leadership, and said it was important for the Republican leadership team to hold "broad appeal."
Moore failed to disclose stock trades on time as required by the
STOCK Act. The total value of the stocks in question is unknown but is between $78,000 and $1.1 million. Moore has acknowledged paying a "late filing fee" to the House Committee on Ethics in July 2021; the value of that fee generally starts at $200.
Moore voted against the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and originally in the House as the INVEST in America ActH.R. 3684, is a United States federal statute enacted by the 117th United States Congress ...
.
In the wake of the Taliban's conquering of Afghanistan, Moore introduced the Afghanistan Accountability Act to investigate what the Biden administration knew before deciding to leave Afghanistan.
As of November 2021, Moore voted with Joe Biden's preferred positions 16% of the time, according to
FiveThirtyEight
''FiveThirtyEight'', sometimes rendered as ''538'', is an American website that focuses on opinion poll analysis, politics, economics, and sports blogging in the United States. The website, which takes its name from the number of electors in th ...
's tracker.
In 2021, Moore co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act, the Republican alternative to the
Equality Act. The bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and protect the free exercise of religion.
On July 19, 2022, Moore and 46 other Republican Representatives voted for the
Respect for Marriage Act
The Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA; ) is a landmark United States federal law passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), requires the U.S. federal gover ...
, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Armed Services
*
Committee on Natural Resources
*
House Budget Committee
The United States House Committee on the Budget, commonly known as the House Budget Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Its responsibilities include legislative oversight of the federal budget process, ...
Caucus memberships
*
Republican Main Street Partnership
The Republican Main Street Partnership is a 501(c)(4) organization that was allied with the congressional Republican Main Street Caucus. The Partnership continues to exist, while the Caucus was dissolved by its members in February 2019.
Hist ...
*
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a study group of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. As of 2021, the Chairman of the RSC is Representative Jim Banks of Indiana.
Although the prim ...
*
Republican Governance Group
Personal life
Moore and his wife, Jane Boyer, have three sons. In October 2020, Moore, Jane, and their three children all tested positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, though none were hospitalized with the illness.
References
External links
Representative Blake Mooreofficial U.S. House website
Blake Moore for Congress*
Blake Moore – General*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Blake
1980 births
Living people
Northwestern University alumni
People from Ogden, Utah
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Utah
United States Foreign Service personnel
University of Utah alumni
American Mormon missionaries in South Korea