Jump to content

Barry Moore (American politician)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Barry Moore
Official portrait, 2021
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Alabama's 2nd district
Assumed office
January 3, 2021
Preceded byMartha Roby
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
from the 91st district
In office
November 3, 2010 – November 7, 2018
Preceded byTerry Spicer
Succeeded byRhett Marques
Personal details
Born
Felix Barry Moore

(1966-09-26) September 26, 1966 (age 58)
Coffee County, Alabama, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Heather Hopper
(m. 1992)
Children4
EducationEnterprise State Community College (AS)
Auburn University (BS)
Signature
WebsiteHouse website

Felix Barry Moore (born September 26, 1966) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Alabama's 2nd congressional district since 2021. The district is based in the state capital, Montgomery, and stretches into the Wiregrass. He represented the 91st district in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018.[1]

Moore first ran for the U.S. Congress to represent Alabama's 2nd congressional district in 2018, challenging incumbent representative Martha Roby.[2] He finished third in the Republican primary. After Roby's retirement in 2020, Moore launched a campaign for the open seat. He won the primary and defeated Democrat Phyllis Harvey-Hall in the general election. In 2024, following redistricting as a result of Allen v. Milligan, Moore was placed into Alabama's 1st congressional district and ran against fellow incumbent representative Jerry Carl in the Republican primary. Moore narrowly won nomination in the new district, unseating Carl.[3]

Early life and education

[edit]

Moore was born in Coffee County, Alabama, on September 26, 1966.[4][5] He grew up on a farm in Coffee County, and attended Enterprise State Community College.[6] He later attended Auburn University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural science in 1992.[7] While attending Auburn, Moore enlisted in the Alabama National Guard.[8]

Early career

[edit]

In 1998, Moore founded Barry Moore Industries, a waste hauling company.[9]

Alabama House of Representatives

[edit]

Moore entered politics in 2010 at the urging of then-chair of the Alabama Republican Party Mike Hubbard. Moore was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2010, defeating Democratic incumbent Terry Spicer.[10]

In April 2014, Moore was arrested for felony perjury and lying to authorities during a grand jury investigation into Hubbard.[11] Moore was acquitted of all charges.[10][12]

United States House of Representatives

[edit]

Elections

[edit]

2018

[edit]

In 2018, Moore challenged incumbent U.S. Representative Martha Roby in the Republican primary for AL-02, placing third behind Roby and former U.S. Representative Bobby Bright.[6]

2020

[edit]

Moore again sought the nomination in 2020. The seat was open after Roby opted not to run for a sixth term. Moore placed second in the seven-way Republican primary, the real contest in the heavily Republican district, trailing Dothan businessman Jeff Coleman. He then defeated Coleman in the runoff,[13] which had been delayed almost three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In that time, Coleman's campaign faltered, and Moore eventually won.[14] He then defeated Democratic nominee Phyllis Harvey-Hall in the general election with 65.2% of the vote.[15]

2022

[edit]

Moore ran for reelection in 2022.[16] In the Republican primary, Moore initially faced a challenge from Jeff Coleman, who announced another bid for the second congressional district. However, a federal panel ruled against Coleman's candidacy, as he qualified to run after the first deadline had passed, and the decision implementing a second deadline was reversed. This left Moore unopposed in the Republican primary.[17] In the general election, Moore faced Democratic nominee Phyllis Harvey-Hall in a rematch; he was reelected to a second term with 69% of the vote.[18]

2024

[edit]

In 2024, redistricting as a result of Allen v. Milligan placed Moore into Alabama's 1st congressional district, which was represented by Jerry Carl, setting up a primary in which Moore and Carl were both incumbents pitted against each other in the 1st district.[19] On October 30, 2023, Moore confirmed to 1819 News that he would run in the first congressional district, challenging Carl in the Republican primary.[20]

In the Republican primary on March 5, 2024, Moore narrowly won the Republican nomination against Carl, despite running in a district that was geographically more Carl's district than Moore's. The new 1st retained 60% of Carl’s constituents.[3]

In October 2024, The Washington Post reported that the Chinese government was using its Spamouflage influence operation to target Moore with accusations that he won his primary because of "the bloody Jewish consortium," as well as calling him a "Jewish dog", among other antisemitic tropes. Moore has been critical of the Chinese Communist Party, and has directed support for Taiwanese independence. Moore is not Jewish.[21]

Tenure

[edit]

On January 6, 2021, Moore objected to the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results in Congress. On January 7, he was one of 147 Republican lawmakers who voted to overturn results in the election, immediately after the storming of the U.S. Capitol.[22] On January 10, Moore drew criticism for two posts on his personal Twitter account, one of which echoed the false claim of "stealing an election on November 3rd." Moore also posted about the killing of Ashli Babbitt, saying that a black officer shooting a white female veteran "doesn't fit the narrative." Twitter temporarily suspended his account; in response, Moore deactivated the account, alleging censorship of conservative voices. His official government Twitter account was unaffected.[23]

In February 2021, Moore voted against the American Rescue Plan, calling it a "blue state bailout".[24] The same month, he co-signed Bob Good's Right To Earn A Living Act, which would make state and local governments that implement pandemic-related stay-at-home orders ineligible for funding through the Coronavirus Relief Fund.[25]

In March 2021, during a House vote on a measure condemning the Myanmar coup d'état that overwhelmingly passed, Moore was one of 14 House Republicans to vote against it.[26]

In June 2021, Moore was one of 21 House Republicans to vote against a resolution to give the Congressional Gold Medal to police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6.[27]

In June 2021, Moore was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the AUMF against Iraq.[28][29]

In July 2021, Moore voted against the bipartisan ALLIES Act, which would increase by 8,000 the number of special immigrant visas for allies of the U.S. military during its invasion of Afghanistan, while also reducing some application requirements that caused long application backlogs; the bill passed in the House 407–16.[30] Later in August 2021, after the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan, Moore called the American withdrawal from Afghanistan "a painful betrayal of our Afghan allies".[30]

As of January 2022, Moore had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 6% of the time.[31]

In February 2023, Moore introduced a bill, co-sponsored by Andrew Clyde, Lauren Boebert, and George Santos, to designate the "AR-15-style rifle" the National Gun of the United States.[32][33]

Committee assignments

[edit]

For the 118th Congress:[34]

Caucus memberships

[edit]

Political positions

[edit]

Moore supported the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it "a huge victory for the pro-life movement and the Constitution."[37]

Moore was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[38] He was also one of three members of Alabama's House delegation to vote against the bill, the others being Dale Strong and Gary Palmer.[39]

Electoral history

[edit]
Electoral history of Barry Moore
Year Office Party Primary General Result Swing Ref.
Total % P. Runoff % P. Total % P.
2010 State Representative Republican Does not appear 9,754 64.31% 1st Won Gain [40]
2014 Republican 3,905 55.46% 1st Does not appear 7,484 96.27% 1st Won Hold [41]
2018 U.S. Representative Republican 18,177 19.30% 3rd Does not appear Lost N/A [42]
2020 Republican 21,354 20.45% 2nd 52,248 60.45% 1st 197,996 65.22% 1st Won Hold [43]
2022 Republican Does not appear 137,460 69.09% 1st Won Hold [44]

Personal life

[edit]

Moore married Heather Hopper in 1992; they have four children together.[4][10] The Moore family attend Hillcrest Baptist Church in Enterprise, Alabama.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Barry Moore". Legislature.state.al.us. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  2. ^ Gore, Leada (May 12, 2017). "Barry Moore challenging Martha Roby for House seat". AL.com. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Baker, Trent (March 5, 2024). "Live Updates: Alabama Super Tuesday". 1819 News. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Gaston, Faye (June 9, 2021). "Bullock County leaders met with Congressman Barry Moore". Union Springs Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  5. ^ "Barry Moore - U.S. no Representative - AL District 2". Bama Politics. November 13, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Bryan Lyman (February 14, 2020). "Barry Moore hitting veteran status in congressional run". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  7. ^ Flack, Christina (December 21, 2020). "Discussions with Decisionmakers: Barry Moore". Medical Association of the State of Alabama News Center. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  8. ^ Thornton, Henry (February 13, 2020). "Barry Moore releases ad promoting his status as the only veteran in the AL-02 race". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  9. ^ Mann, Michelle (December 9, 2020). "Barry Moore ready for next step in the journey". The Southeast Sun. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Bill Britt (June 15, 2020). "A brief look at candidate Barry Moore". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  11. ^ "AL Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise arrested on felony charges". WSFA 12 News. April 24, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  12. ^ Cliff Sims (October 30, 2014). "Alabama Rep. Barry Moore not guilty on all counts". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  13. ^ Bryan Lyman (July 14, 2020). "Barry Moore defeats Jeff Coleman for GOP nomination in 2nd Congressional District". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  14. ^ Sell, Mary (February 14, 2022). "Coleman launches run for Congress, seeks rematch with Moore". Alabama Daily News. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  15. ^ Brown, Melissa (November 3, 2020). "Barry Moore defeats Phyllis Harvey-Hall for 2nd Congressional District seat". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  16. ^ "Mo Brooks picks up Barry Moore endorsement at Coffee County pro-free speech event". Yellowhammer News. April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  17. ^ Smith, Dylan (February 25, 2022). "Jeff Coleman loses court battle to appear on 2022 GOP primary ballot; Barry Moore to run unopposed". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  18. ^ Lyman, Brian (November 9, 2022). "U.S. Rep. Barry Moore wins second term in office". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  19. ^ Everett, Grayson (September 26, 2023). "Carl announces reelection bid after Fed-proposed map signals primary with Moore". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  20. ^ Taylor, Caleb (October 30, 2023). "Barry Moore to challenge Jerry Carl for District 1 seat: 'I am a true conservative, and the system doesn't like a true conservative'". 1819 News. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  21. ^ Merrill, Jeremy; Schaffer, Aaron; Nix, Naomi (October 10, 2024). "A firehose of antisemitic disinformation from China is pointing at two Republican legislators". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  22. ^ Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021). "The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  23. ^ Specker, Lawrence (January 11, 2021). "Rep. Barry Moore deletes Twitter account after suspension, controversial Capitol riot tweets". AL.com. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  24. ^ "Rep. Moore to oppose Pelosi's progressive state payout bill". barrymoore.house.gov. February 26, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  25. ^ Thornton, Henry (February 18, 2021). "U.S. Rep. Barry Moore wants to block federal COVID-19 relief funds to states that implement lockdowns". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  26. ^ Diaz, Daniella; Wilson, Kristin (March 19, 2021). "14 House Republicans vote against a measure condemning military coup in Myanmar". CNN. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  27. ^ Grayer, Annie; Wilson, Kristin (June 16, 2021). "21 Republicans vote no on bill to award Congressional Gold Medal for January 6 police officers". CNN. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  28. ^ Shabad, Rebecca (June 17, 2021). "House votes to repeal 2002 Iraq War authorization". NBC News. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  29. ^ "Final Votes Results for Roll Call 172". clerk.house.gov. United States House of Representatives. June 17, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Quarshie, Mabinty (August 17, 2021). "These 16 Republicans voted against speeding up visas for Afghans fleeing the Taliban". USA Today. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  31. ^ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (October 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  32. ^ Ibrahim, Nur (February 26, 2023). "George Santos Wants to Make the AR-15 America's 'National Gun'". Snopes. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  33. ^ Prater, Nia (February 23, 2023). "George Santos Wants to Make the AR-15 America's 'National Gun'". New York. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  34. ^ "Barry Moore". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  35. ^ Beavers, Olivia (August 31, 2021). "The I-word looms: McCarthy faces internal pressure to go harder at Biden on Afghanistan". Politico. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  36. ^ "About Us". www.ccainstitute.org.
  37. ^ Moore, Barry. ""Its official - Roe v. Wade has been overturned! We've waited a long time for this decision to be overturned, and countless lives will be saved as a result. Here's my full statement."". Twitter. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  38. ^ Gans, Jared (May 31, 2023). "Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no". The Hill. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  39. ^ "Raising the Debt Limit: See Who Voted For and Against". The New York Times. May 31, 2023. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  40. ^ "2010 Alabama House of Representatives general election results" (PDF). sos.alabama.gov. Montgomery: Secretary of State of Alabama. 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  41. ^ Primary election: General election:
  42. ^ "2018 United States House of Representatives Republican primary election results". sos.alabama.gov. Montgomery: Secretary of State of Alabama. 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  43. ^ Primary election: Primary runoff: General election:
  44. ^ "2022 United States House of Representatives general election results" (PDF). sos.alabama.gov. Montgomery: Secretary of State of Alabama. 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
[edit]
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Alabama's 2nd congressional district

2021–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
324th
Succeeded by