Long-shot Democrat Rick Jones faces GOP Rep. Blake Moore in a First District friendly
On the left is a sage, 71-year-old slightly rumpled professor and music historian, prone to weaving stories from American political lore, who could have been conjured by casting in Mr. Holland’s Opus.
On the right: a polished, energetic, fresh-faced conservative soldier out of central casting, more earnest than performance artist, who looks fashioned from a GOP Fortune 500 factory for winners.
The contrast in Utah’s First District tilt between Democratic challenger Rick Jones and Republican incumbent Blake Moore could not be more staggering — from appearance to approach to policy. All three were on display during a genuine and genial, if a bit meandering, debate last week on the Weber State University campus in Ogden.
From inflation to federalism, Jones and Moore planted their respective flags in equally opposite liberal and conservative territory. But unlike Utah’s current Senate race and at least one other congressional contest, the campaign for the First District seat feels refreshingly civil.
Instead of name-calling, social media swipes and debate boycotts, Moore quietly called his elder opponent back in June, just to chat, to get to know Jones, and to carry on a conversation like respectful adults. Unlike most congressional cage fights, Utah’s First District candidates like each other. They’ve said as much. And it shows.
A Generational — and Philosophical — Gap
It would not be hyperbole to say the world views for Moore and Jones appear to rotate in opposite directions from the axis. For instance, while Moore was a foreign service officer with the State Department, who now sits on the Armed Services Committee, his opponent spent the end of high school (before Moore was born) terrified he’d be drafted in 1969 to fight in Vietnam.
“I invested a lot of time in my hands (to play piano) and my biggest fear was that I would go to Vietnam and get my hand shot off,” Jones recalls.
But for Jones, who is nearly 30 years Moore’s senior, his approach to war and politics writ large was once markedly more conservative.
Jones grew up in a Republican household in Michigan where his father, “a principled conservative who never voted for a Democrat,” was close to then-Governor George Romney. The Romney and Jones families went to church together, were situated closely in their LDS ward, and Jones knew Utah Senator Mitt Romney.
Those connections fostered a deep interest in politics beginning when Jones was a teen. By 1980, Jones was a Republican delegate to the national GOP convention to crown Ronald Reagan in Detroit. “Then I studied economics,” he jokes.
Now a retired adjunct teacher of economics from Weber State, Jones spent a career in academia peppering newspapers with editorials as his politics drifted decidedly more left. He is also a published constitutional scholar.
Still, the decision by Jones to challenge Moore came literally in the 11th hour as he filed on the day of the deadline after being told the Democrats were not fielding a candidate. Perhaps not surprising given that entry, Jones has raised less than $3,500 for the campaign — but remains undeterred.
“If I spend $3,500 and get 32 percent of the vote that’s so valuable to give voters a voice and a choice versus just having one name on the ballot from the Trump party,” Jones says.
Born and raised in Ogden, Moore loves participating in charity sporting events in Congress — from baseball to golf to football. “They’ve been a big breath of fresh air,” he says. “And I get to relive my glory days.”
Now, with four boys under 10 — the Moore’s welcomed a baby during his first term — sports are also omnipresent back home since “every waking moment is little league.”
Elected two years ago, Moore had three items on his freshman bucket list. He vowed to support Hill Air Force Base, reverse the debt culture in Washington D.C., and be seen as a credible conservative, particularly for the next generation.
“I can have a unique impact there,” he says, “to help people sort out the reality over the rhetoric.”
Armed with a master’s degree in public policy from Northwestern, Moore did a stint as an international healthcare consultant before becoming a business management executive with the Cicero Group.
Getting economic policy right, Moore says, is his paramount priority. He points to the “seminal piece” of former President Donald Trump’s one term as the substantial tax cuts for higher earners Moore claims grew the economy, middle class wages and 401ks. Contrast that, he argues, with President Biden’s American Rescue Plan “which stifled economic growth and created an enormous amount of inflation.”
Asked if he could be categorized with the Trump wing of the Republican Party, Moore demurred.
“I’m Blake Moore, I’m always going to be myself,” he says. “I’m building relationships with folks across the aisle because it will benefit Utah.”
Take Your Positions
Can the First District become relevant after a decade of 35-point wipeouts by the GOP? Like everything in politics, it will depend on policy issues and positions, so let’s take a look.
Jones, who ran unsuccessfully for the Utah House four years ago, insists Republican economic theory is simplified while Democrats’ is complex. But he’s frustrated more policy doesn’t come from the governed, pointing to Wyoming having just as much power as California based on representation in the Senate.
Moore says he wants another term to drive sound economic policy in order to grow the economy and increase wages. The key, he maintains, is reining in regulation. If returned to Washington, Moore says he will push hard for the Trump era jobs act and tax cuts.
The two take issue with the root cause of inflation. Moore fingers a wide range of Democrat-championed federal spending, from infrastructure to healthcare to student loan forgiveness as a primary driver. Jones challenges the notion that federal deficits drive inflation, pointing to higher deficits under Reagan than Carter that did not result in the price surges we’re seeing today.
Both candidates agree the government should invest in clean, innovative renewable forms of energy. Jones wants to dangle tax credits as an incentive for their creation, but Moore cautions energy demand must be met without creating so-called winners and losers.
On student loan debt, Moore says colleges and universities need to place more focus on job placement. Jones says students should consider more affordable schools.
Regarding healthcare for young people, Moore predicts a renewed focus on telehealth — which proliferated during the pandemic — could be a solution. Jones maintains the healthcare industry needs to cut bloated paperwork costs to increase affordability.
On immigration, Moore has repeatedly criticized the Biden White House of abdicating its responsibility to secure the border, exacerbating the fentanyl crisis. And he voted to restrict the government from sending checks to anyone who has violated U.S. immigration laws. Jones argues a task force of experts could best tackle border security, thinning the backlog, and a path to citizenship.
When asked about the January 6 insurrection, Jones is unequivocal that Trump as ringleader should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And he calls Moore’s vote not to impeach Trump indefensible. For his part, Moore blasts Democrats, saying he opposed the legislation that would give the federal government control over state elections and overturn certain states’ voter ID laws.
But perhaps most interestingly, the candidates are not as cavernous when it comes to abortion and the environment. Indeed, Moore is more moderate on both than many in Trump’s GOP.
To be clear, Moore won’t apologize for his stance to protect the sanctity of life and has cosponsored legislation to stop taxpayer funding of abortion. He introduced a measure ensuring pharmacists can refuse to provide abortion drugs without repercussion. At the same time, Moore supports exemptions in cases of rape, incest and health of the mother. And he wants to back “real bills” that provide resources for pregnant women considering adoption. “I don’t think that’s a moderate view of it — I’m in lockstep with the state,” Moore says. “We need to work with healthcare professionals and support women…It’s a new paradigm so we’ve got to be compassionate in this post-Roe world.”
Jones says he personally discourages abortion but given that roughly two-thirds of Americans favor its legality, he calls it foolish to criminalize all abortions. At the same time, Jones is “appalled” that stricter post-Roe state laws would require a 10-year-old to carry a baby to term. “That goes against so much of what we believe in,” he says.
Regarding the environment and climate change, Jones says we have a moral obligation to address it and protect the most vulnerable who lack the resources to fight back. Locally, he says the idea of purchasing water rights from farmers to help replenish the Great Salt Lake is a worthwhile solution.
When asked about how to mitigate climate change impacts in Utah, Moore was en route to present as a member at a Conservative Climate Caucus meeting. Also a member of the Natural Resources Committee, Moore says Congress “absolutely” has a role in dealing with terminal lakes, snowpack, arsenic in dust and more. “Conservatives were some of the first conservationists,” he says. “We lost that voice a while ago to Democrats. That’s unfortunate.”
Addressing climate change and the environment is not just agriculture and not just front yards, Moore says. It must be a systemic change.
Caring for the Kids
As a sports fan, Moore found it easy to root for former Utah Jazz small forward, Joe Ingles. The lurpy Australian with the three-point deadeye, trash-talking lexicon, and twinkle in the eye was a fan favorite. But it was what he and wife Renae did to raise awareness about autistic children through their own that truly inspired the Moore family.
“It was actually because of Renae that my wife and I decided to go public,” Moore says, referring to the news of their own child’s autism diagnosis.
Since then, Moore has been a sponge, learning about early childhood intervention and approaches, while serving on a board that promotes forever families for foster children.
Engaging with a different age group of children, Jones, at age 71, maintains an active schedule of piano lessons with a roster of 40 students. During an interview for this story, Jones was interrupted by one such student, early for their lesson, which he was happy to commence.
It’s clear Jones’ love for music and its history is kept alive through the daily instruction of his students. And he’s not a bad teacher to have considering he once performed 19 of 20 Mozart sonatas on piano — from memory.
That’s what Jones cited in response to a query for a surprising personal fact. For his part, Moore cited trying to establish credibility when it comes to corralling the $31 trillion national debt. “I’m just trying to navigate a really crazy political world to that end,” he says.
“When you take on a role like this you give up the ability to be liked by everybody,” Moore adds. He’s given up on the idea he can please everybody but is pleased his newsletter engagement is three times higher than engagement on social media. “That’s where we communicate the reality, not the rhetoric…That’s where you find what we call the movable middle.”
Before earning his master’s degree at the University of Utah, Jones nabbed minors in music, economics and philosophy as an undergraduate at Brigham Young University. One of his lifelong goals is to challenge the GOP’s idea of federalism — a topic he has tortured with numerous Op Eds dating back to the 1970s. “That’s a constant struggle,” he says, “to keep the voters informed and steer them away from a superficial plausibility.”
Jones says he feels sad when he sees a scenario with eight offices up for grabs and only eight names on the ballot. Despite not raising enough cash to even file a report this campaign, Jones says it has been worthwhile to hear from passionate voters.
“At least they have an option and they can express the fact that they are not on board with Blake Moore,” Jones says. “I’ve actually found it a satisfying experience.”
