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Election news from across Utah's statewide and national races in 2020.

Election 2020: 1st Congressional GOP Candidate Blake Moore On Economy And Private Sector Experience

Photo of a man in a suit and tie standing at a podium.
Pool Photo
Businessman Blake Moore says Utah’s 1st Congressional District doesn’t need a career politician representing it.";s:

The seat for Utah’s 1st Congressional District hasn’t been open for almost 20 years. But Republican Representative Rob Bishop isn’t seeking another term, so the race is anyone’s game. There are two Democrats in a primary for the district, but the seat is ranked solidly Republican. Four candidates are vying for the GOP nomination.

Blake Moore said his background in the private sector is what makes him best prepared for Congress — and even his experience as a dad to three young boys, including twins. 

“Twin parents — you can get through that, you can get through Congress, I think,” Moore laughed.

Moore hasn’t held elected political office. He’s worked in the foreign service and now as a management consultant. But he said he’ll bring a fresh perspective to Congress — one that’s needed for the post-pandemic economic recovery.

“We need to be able to think farther than just our nose to be able to see what’s down the road,” he said. “That skill is something that I’ve learned, and it is crucial to have. You’re not going to get it with politicians.”

Moore also wants to use his business experience for the district. He pointed to Northern Utah, where he said there’s a variety of industries that will help the area survive economic downturns. Moore said that needs to happen in the Uinta Basin, too.

“They have an educational institution out there with an extension from Weber State,” he said. “They have a really solid oil and gas industry. Tourism’s big, but we need to pull jobs that have been so successful on the Wasatch Front, and they need to exist out there as well.”

Moore currently lives in Salt Lake City, outside the 1st Congressional District. But living in the district you’re running for isn’t a constitutional requirement. In fact, current Utah Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams lives just outside of the 4th District he represents. 

Moore said he’s willing to move his family into the district, but he also added that the boundaries could very well be different after next year’s redistricting process.

Either way, Moore said he grew up in Ogden and has a strong connection to the people of the 1st District.

“I was set up for success in life, and this is the point now that I want to come back and serve,” he said. “This is the district that I know the best.”

To learn more about Moore’s positions — and to compare them to his three opponents — check out KUER’s voter guide.

Emily Means is a government and politics reporter at KUER.
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