Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OGDEN — The local polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and by 8:48 p.m., the Associated Press had declared Republican Blake Moore the winner of Utah's 1st Congressional District race over Democratic rival Darren Parry.
While Utah's other House seats were contested by an incumbent, retiring Rep. Rob Bishop left the 1st District up for grabs. Despite his relative youth and lack of political experience, Moore emerged from a crowded field of GOP candidates to win the Republican nomination and then moved on to a comfortable general election victory in the conservative district.
Moore told KSL.com that Bishop, Utah's most tenured congressman, is leaving "big shoes to fill." He cited Bishop's advocacy for Hill Air Force Base as something he plans to continue in Congress. "Congressman Bishop has created a framework for success in the 1st District," Moore said.
According to a biography on his campaign website, Moore was born and raised in Ogden and grew up the youngest of five siblings. A talented athlete, Moore earned a scholarship to play football at Utah State and then served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Korea. He finished his bachelor's degree at the University of Utah and later earned a master's in public policy and administration from Northwestern University.
"I began my career by serving our country in various civilian roles," Moore's site says, "most notably as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. Department of State, in the intelligence and defense community." This position took him to Washington, D.C, and Asia; Moore now says that experience instilled in him the patriotism and love of service that made him want to run for office later.
Though he was a civilian, Moore said he can relate to veterans like Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw and Utah Rep. Chris Stewart who ran for elected office after serving. "We believe in our institution of government," Moore said. "There's an element of patriotism that exists, and that's going to be another way that serves me well, I believe."
Thank you to everyone who trusted me with their vote, and I look forward to serving you as your representative. God Bless the Great State of Utah, and God Bless America. #utpol
— Blake Moore (@ElectBlakeMoore) November 4, 2020
For almost a decade now, Moore has been with the Utah-based management consulting firm Cicero Group. "My primary role is to collect information, analyze it, create a plan, and then take companies through the change process," his bio says. That job gave Moore experience with a wide variety of issues and industries, including education and health care, and he says it's that job that won him the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce despite his political inexperience.
"They looked at my background at Cicero Group, and they saw how much I have an understanding of the economy," Moore said. "The triangulation between nonprofit, private and public sector is going to be something that serves me really well. I will never be the expert. I will never go out and meet with somebody in the transportation world, for instance, and be the expert. But I will rely on their expertise, and I will rely on my ability and what I've learned to think about the problem in a different way."
Moore is entering politics at a tumultuous time; as of Wednesday, the final partisan makeup of the House, Senate and even the White House was not set in stone. What seemed clear, though, is that divided government will continue, and Moore is likely to enter the House as a member of its minority party.
But Moore said there were lots of positive signs for the GOP on Election Day. "If the Senate stays in control of the Republican Party, that is a proxy for Americans saying, 'We like the policy. We like these policies that we've put in place,'" Moore said. "The House, although it hasn't been finalized yet, it looks like the Republican Party is going to pick up some seats. That's a huge win."
He called Republican policies "aspirational" and "inclusive" for the benefit of all Americans. But Moore said he's prepared to work with whichever party or administration he needs to for Utah's interests.
"Whatever happens, I've tried to make the word 'productivity' a huge part of my campaign," he said. "... That's been my experience, that's why I decided to run, and I will have a productive relationship with whoever is in office to support what Utah needs."
Moore celebrated his 10-year anniversary with wife Jane in September; they have three boys. He will be sworn in as a congressman on Jan. 3.
