Colton Moore | |
|---|---|
 Moore at the 2022 Hazlitt Summit hosted by Young Americans for Liberty Foundation | |
| Member of the Georgia State Senate from the 53rd district | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Jeff Mullis |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 1st district | |
| In office January 14, 2019 – January 14, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | John Deffenbaugh |
| Succeeded by | Mike Cameron |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Colton Chase Moore October 10, 1993 Trenton, Georgia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | University of Georgia (BA) |
| Occupation | Auctioneer |
| Awards | Georgia Auctioneer Champion 2016, International Auctioneers Championship Finalist 2017[1] |
| Website | Official Website |
Colton Chase Moore (born October 10, 1993) is an American auctioneer and politician who represents Georgia's 53rd Senate District in the Georgia State Senate. He previously represented Georgia's 1st House District in the Georgia State House of Representatives from January 14, 2019, to January 14, 2021.[2][3] At 24 years old, he was the youngest elected official ever from Dade County, Georgia, and is a supporter of ex-president Donald Trump. On September 28, 2023, the Georgia Senate Republican Caucus indefinitely suspended Moore for attacking his Republican colleagues.[4]
Moore was born and raised on his family farm in Dade County, Georgia, where he resides today.[5] As a child, Moore said he "idolized Teddy Roosevelt, seeing him as a figure who acted quickly and boldly".[6] Moore was the State President of Georgia Future Business Leaders of America under Executive Director Monty Rhodes from March 2011 to March 2012. During that time he led more than 25,000 students and 320 advisers.[7]
At age 18, Moore became a commercial truck driver, and started auctioneering while studying at the University of Georgia. In 2016, Moore graduated from the University of Georgia with a double bachelors in political science and international affairs.[8]
Since graduating college, Moore runs his family's bulldozing and trucking business, and is an auctioneer.
Nineteen months after graduating college, Moore, then 24, qualified to run against incumbent John Deffenbaugh in the House race for District One.[9] Moore's budget was just $3,500 and completely self funded, a tenth of Deffenbaugh's campaign spending.[10] With no declared Democratic opponent, Republican Moore was elected as the presumptive District 1 State Representative on May 22, 2018, after defeating John Deffenbaugh by a margin of 326 votes with a final tally of 2,184 to 1,858.[11][12]
In 2019 Moore was rated by American Conservative Union as the seventh most conservative legislator in Georgia.[13] He has supported and cosigned bills such as HB 2,[14] HB 481,[15] and the "Heartbeat Bill"; supported 10-year term limits; advocated for the end of film subsidies; and supported HB 179[16] (died in committee) "which would allow school teachers and administrators to utilize discipline in schools without having it negatively impact their school’s climate ratings".[17]
Moore has supported now Governor Brian Kemp from the beginning of his run, being the first representative- elect to endorse him.[18] On October 15, 2018, Rep-Elect Moore acquired the domain name BrianKemp.com, in reference to Georgia's current Secretary of State and 2018 Republican gubernatorial nominee, Brian Kemp.[19][20] Previously, BrianKemp.com had been redirected to Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams' website, which caused confusion for those looking for Brian Kemp's official website.[21][22] Moore and friend, Michael Gargiulo, a domain-name expert, "brokered a five-figure name transaction to buy the rights to the site". Moore used personal money.[23] As of October 15, 2018 BrianKemp.com now displays accurate links and information about how Colton Moore acquired the URL.[24][25][23] In November 2018, Moore unofficially campaigned for Kemp. Moore drove a truck that was covered in signs, urging people from Catoosa, Walker and Dade to vote for Kemp.[26] Kemp thanked Moore on social media multiple times, saying that the "Big Trucks for Kemp Coalition is working hard!”[27] and "Big thanks to State Representative Colton Moore for working to Get Out The Vote in Northwest Georgia with his 'Big Trucks for Kemp' dump truck!”[28]
Moore has also been a strong supporter of Donald Trump since the beginning of his campaign in 2015. In 2018, Moore was responsible for bringing a Trump rally to Chattanooga. Moore extended an "official invitation" to the president,[29] and in November 2018, Trump and Vice President Pence visited Northwest Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee.[30]
In 2019, Moore was among ten representatives who signed House Resolution 328,[31] calling for Georgia House Speaker David Ralston to resign due to his abuse of power and unethical behavior. Ralston leveraged his position as Speaker of the House to postpone his cases more than 900 times,[32] helping criminals stay out of prison. Among Ralston's clients were molesters, rapists, and individuals that have committed a violent crime,[33] who confessed that they retained Ralston as their attorney because he could leverage his position in their favor to indefinitely postpone cases. David Shell, a man who has beaten many women, including having been charged by a grand jury as a repeat offender, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "That’s why I gave him 20,000 bucks… He’s worth every penny of it".[34] Moore wrote a letter to Speaker Ralston that read, "While legislative continuance is a right all legislators have access to, your use of this right has resulted in an unjust delay of violent criminal cases in our state… District 1 and many citizens across our great state believe you should no longer serve as the leader of Georgia's largest governing body".[33]
In February 2019, Moore was one of two dissenting votes against naming the judicial complex after former governor Nathan Deal. Moore said that it was not right for Deal to be "the symbol of justice in Georgia", as his reforms were "insufficient".[35] Moore went on to write a memorandum to Kemp, listing the reasons why it would be an inappropriate choice to name the new judicial center after Deal.[36]
In 2020, Moore became the co- chair of the Georgia branch of the Future Caucus, a bipartisan organization that educates on legislative issues that future generations will face.[37] Moore co-chairs alongside Representative Jasmine Clark.[37]
In March 2020, Moore told the press that he would not be running for reelection for his house seat.[38] Moore instead qualified to run for the State Senate seat for District 53 against Jeff Mullis, whom he decried as a "political boss" who "has tried to push me out of my seat". According to Moore, he ran against Mullis for Mullis's alleged mistreatment of those that do not agree with him. Moore was at a financial disadvantage; Moore has $26, while Mullis has $250,000.[39]
In April 2020, Moore asked Senator Jeff Mullis to debate him in Dade County, and Mullis refused.[40]
In April 2020, Ringgold Mayor Nick Millwood announced that he endorses Moore instead of incumbent Jeff Mullis. Mayor Millwood cited standing up against unethical politics and legislators; empowering educators; not compromisingly defending constitutional carry and the second amendment, and standing up for first amendment rights as among the many reasons that he strongly endorses Moore. Mayor Millwood said: "During Colton’s term as a state representative, his frustrations at being blocked and talked down to by Jeff Mullis led him to tackle the problem directly and run for that seat. I admire his tenacity and ability to go right to the source of the problem and launch a public challenge to make a difference".[citation needed] Moore has also been endorsed by Young Americans for Liberty.[41][26]
On August 29, 2023 while appearing on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast, Moore claimed that his constituents could be "fighting in the streets" if Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is not prevented from prosecuting former president Donald Trump and his 18 alleged co-conspirators for violations of Georgia's RICO statute and other offenses connected with the attempts to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.[42] While recalling a conversation with another senator, Moore stated "I don't want a civil war, I don't want to have to draw my rifle."[43] He also suggested that Georgia Republicans "have the legislative authority to call in the state troopers and bring [the Georgia State prosecutors] in."[42]
On September 28, 2023, the Georgia Senate Republican Caucus indefinitely suspended Moore, issuing a statement saying Moore "Moore has knowingly misled people across Georgia and our nation, causing unnecessary tension and hostility, while putting his caucus colleagues and their families at risk of personal harm".[4] This followed Moore's vocal advocacy for the impeachment of Fulton County, Georgia district attorney Fani Willis, who had indicted Donald Trump and 18 other people on felony charges. Moore replied, "The Georgia RINOs responded to my call to fight back against the Trump witch hunts by acting like children and throwing me out of the caucus".[4]
