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Dorothy Moon

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Dorothy Moon
Chair of the Idaho Republican Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 16, 2022
Preceded byTom Luna
Member of the Idaho House of Representatives
from the 8B district
In office
December 1, 2016 – November 30, 2022
Preceded byMerrill Beyeler
Succeeded byMegan Blanksma (redistricting)
Personal details
BornMay 1958 (age 66)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseDarr Moon
Children2
EducationMissouri State University (BS, MS)

Dorothy Moon (born 1958) is an American far-right[1][2][3][4] politician who served as a Republican member of Idaho House of Representatives from the 8B district from 2016 to 2022. Moon has been the Chair of Idaho Republican Party since July 2022.[5]

Early life and education

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Born in Kansas City, Missouri,[6][7] Moon grew up near the Ozark Mountains.[7] She earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education and a Master of Science in resource planning from Missouri State University.[6]

Career

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Moon moved to Idaho in 1994.[7] She was a special education director and science teacher at Challis High School, retiring in 2012. Since 1994, she has been president of Moon & Associates, Inc, an engineering and surveying company, and owns a gold mining operation in central Idaho.[6] According to her official biography, she took part in a 1992 Antarctic expedition with Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory.[6]

In 2009, Moon became involved with the Tea Party movement.[7] She ran as a Republican for Idaho House of Representatives for the 8B district in 2016 and won the November 2016 election, defeating Ammon Emanuel Prolife with 87.3% of the votes.[8] She was re-elected in the November 2018 general election.[9][10] The district consists of Lemhi, Custer, Boise, Gem, and Valley counties.[11]

In the 2022 elections, Moon sought the Republican nomination for Secretary of State of Idaho. Moon made baseless claims of voter fraud, claiming on the Idaho House floor without evidence that people from Canada came into Idaho to vote in the 2020 United States presidential election.[12] Moon lost the primary race to Phil McGrane.[13]

Idaho Republican Party

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In July 2022, Moon was elected chair of the Idaho Republican Party, defeating incumbent Tom Luna by a vote of 434–287.[5] She drew praise from conservatives and libertarians for her hard-right voting record. Take Back Idaho, a group of Idaho Republicans who oppose extremism, decried her election as "absolutely disturbing."[14]

As chairwoman, Moon and her allies clashed with opponents from within the state Republican Party. The Republican Central Committees in Power County and Bingham County clashed with Moon over her efforts to invalidate elections to the local Republican organizations, with the Bingham County Republican officials suing the state Republican Party in court.[15][16] Moon banned media from observing the March 2024 Republican caucuses,[17] a decision criticized by the Idaho Statesman editorial board.[18] In December 2023, Luna and another former Idaho Republican Party chair, Trent Clark, criticized Moon for undertaking "purges, division and expulsions" within the state party, writing that the party under Moon had "veered significantly from the inclusive big tent party envisioned by Ronald Reagan."[19]

In June 2024, Moon was reelected as chair of the Idaho Republican Party, defeating former Idaho Legislator Mary Souza by a vote of 376 to 228.[20]

Political positions

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Moon is part of the far-right, which gained strength in Idaho politics in the 2020s.[1][2][3][4] She is a member of the John Birch Society.[1]

Militia movements

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Moon is a supporter of Eric Parker, a right-wing militia movement leader who pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor of obstructing a court order, arising from his role in the 2014 Bundy standoff in Nevada, in which armed men faced off with federal agents at a ranch near Bunkerville, Nevada. Moon organized a letter-writing campaign on Parker's behalf, and introduced him to applause in a session of the state House.[21][22]

Education standards

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In 2020, Moon opposed the adoption of proposed state educational standards for English, literacy, and science; she specifically objected to what she contended was a negative portrayal of logging, mining and other resource extraction industries, and opposed content on the adverse environmental impacts of logging and dams.[23]

Environment

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In 2021, Moon sponsored legislation that called for the killing of 90% of the state's gray wolves.[24] Moon also supported a measure to urge Congress to revoke "wilderness study area" designation from large swaths of Idaho land,[25] as well as a separate measure to urging Congress to restrict the ability of private landowners to sell their land to conservation organizations for transfer to a federal agency.[26]

Vaccines and COVID-19

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In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho, Moon promoted an end-of-session party in downtown Boise, despite public health advice to avoid large in-person gatherings to prevent the spread of the disease.[27] In October 2020, she was one of several Republican Idaho elected officials to appear in an Idaho Freedom Foundation video questioning the existence of the pandemic.[28]

In February 2021, Moon supported a measure to ban state contractors from requiring employees to be vaccinated (against COVID-19 or any other disease).[29] During the legislative debate, Moon was one of several Republican state representatives who spread anti-vaccine misinformation, claiming that her son became autistic after receiving a vaccine.[29] During the debate, Moon said: "There's no way another Moon will ever take a vaccine until the end of any of our lives."[29]

In March 2021, Moon and fellow state Representative Heather Scott organized a demonstration in support of a bill to terminate the COVID-19 emergency in Idaho; the rally featured multiple face mask burnings in burn barrels.[30]

Election of Joe Biden

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See also: Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election § "Trump won" and "big lie"

Moon has said she does not believe Joe Biden was legitimately elected president of the United States. Days after her election as party chair in July 2022, the party was scheduled to consider a resolution declaring as such.[14][31]

Personal life

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Moon's husband is Darr, a licensed civil engineer and land surveyor who serves on the national council of the John Birch Society.[7][32] They have two children.[6] They live near Stanley.[7]

Electoral history

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2020 Idaho House of Representatives election

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Seat B
Idaho Legislative District 8 House Seat B Republican Primary Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Idaho Republican Party Dorothy Moon (incumbent) 7,279 63.6
Idaho Republican Party LaVerne Sessions 4,163 36.4
Total votes 11,442 100.0
Idaho Legislative District 8 House Seat B General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Idaho Republican Party Dorothy Moon (incumbent) 23,300 100.0
Total votes 23,300 100.0
Idaho Republican Party hold

2022 Idaho Secretary of State Republican primary election

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Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Phil McGrane 113,894 43.0%
Republican Dorothy Moon 109,690 41.5%
Republican Mary Souza 41,057 15.5%

References

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  1. ^ a b c David Smith, 'Republican and more Republican': Idaho shifts ever rightward, The Guardian (May 11, 2022): "elections for other offices of state are more competitive between the hard right and harder right. ... Dorothy Moon, a member of the far-right John Birch Society, is a contender for secretary of state."
  2. ^ a b James Dawson, Idaho Gov. Brad Little wins GOP primary over Trump's pick, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, Boise State Public Radio News (May 17, 2022): "Other far-right candidates are following McGeachin's lead by seeking statewide office in the Republican Party primary. ... Two state lawmakers, Dorothy Moon and Mary Souza, who both falsely insist that President Biden lost the 2020 presidential election, want to become Idaho secretary of state."
  3. ^ a b "Idaho GOP rejects abortion exception to save mother's life". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  4. ^ a b "2022 Idaho Primary Election Results". PBS NewsHour. 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  5. ^ a b "Dorothy Moon Defeats Tom Luna to Become Idaho Republican Party Chair". Idaho Dispatch. 2022-07-16. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  6. ^ a b c d e Idaho Blue Book, 2019-2020, p. 205.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Kelcie Moseley-Morris, Who's who in the GOP race to be Idaho's next secretary of state?, Idaho Capital Sun (April 20, 2022).
  8. ^ "November 8, 2016 General Election Results". sos.idaho.gov. November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  9. ^ "November 6, 2018 General Election Results". sos.idaho.gov. November 6, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  10. ^ "Representative Dorothy Moon (R)". legislature.idaho.gov. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  11. ^ Shirah Matsuzawa, Rep. Dorothy Moon's cabin damaged by Idaho earthquake, WGRZ (April 1, 2020).
  12. ^ "Republican candidate for Idaho secretary of state spreads unverified reports of voter fraud". 14 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Ada County Clerk wins Republican nomination for Idaho secretary of state". May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Moseley-Morris, Kelcie (July 16, 2022). "Rep. Dorothy Moon becomes new chairwoman of Idaho Republican Party". Idaho Capital Sun. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  15. ^ Clark Corbin, Bingham County GOP sues Idaho Republican Party, Idaho Capital Sun (September 18, 2023).
  16. ^ Shelbie Harris, Lawsuit alleges 'bully tactics' by Idaho Republican Chair Dorothy Moon, Idaho State Journal (September 15, 2023).
  17. ^ Clark Corbin, Idaho GOP won't allow news media inside upcoming Republican presidential caucus, Idaho Capital Sun (February 14, 2024).
  18. ^ Sarah A. Miller, Banning media from Idaho Republican caucus is business as usual for this club, Idaho Statesman (February 16, 2024).
  19. ^ Ian Max Stevenson, Former GOP heads say party needs 'course correction' after divisive changes, Idaho Statesman (December 7, 2023).
  20. ^ Corbin, Clark (2024-06-15). "Dorothy Moon reelected as chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party • Idaho Capital Sun". Idaho Capital Sun. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  21. ^ Jason Wilson, Idaho candidate for governor endorsed by rightwing militia leader, video reveals, The Guardian (June 9, 2021).
  22. ^ Bryan Clark, Idaho House members applaud man involved in Bundy standoff, Post Register (January 23, 2018).
  23. ^ Rebecca Boone, Idaho lawmakers hear divisive testimony on science standards, Associated Press (January 22, 2020).
  24. ^ New Idaho Law Calls For Killing 90% Of The State's Wolves, NPR (May 21, 2021).
  25. ^ Keith Ridler, Legislation aims to reduce wilderness study areas in Idaho, Associated Press (February 19, 2019).
  26. ^ Nicole Blanchard, Idaho House approves legislation seeking federal land sales, Associated Press (February 25, 2019).
  27. ^ James Dawson, Idaho House Republicans: Party On Amid Coronavirus, Boise State Public Radio (March 17, 2020).
  28. ^ Idaho Republicans, including Lt. Gov. McGeachin, decry pandemic measures in new video, Spokesman Review (October 27, 2020).
  29. ^ a b c James Dawson, Bill Barring State Contractors From Having A Vaccine Mandate Clears Idaho House, Boise State Public Radio (February 24, 2021).
  30. ^ Katherine Barner, Mask burnings held across Idaho, partly organized by Rep. Heather Scott, KHQ (March 8, 2021).
  31. ^ Ridler, Keith (July 14, 2022). "Idaho Republicans poised to reject 2020 election results". Associated Press.
  32. ^ "Darr Moon". National Council. John Birch Society. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
[edit]
Party political offices
Preceded by Chair of the Idaho Republican Party
2022–present 		Incumbent
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