GOP House candidate Scott Moore claims he’s a lifelong Republican, but bailed on the party in 2016
Scott Moore

Scott Moore
He returned to the GOP fold in 2018.

State House candidate Scott Moore has called himself the only lifelong Republican running in House District 56. But he left the party in Maryland as Donald Trump led Republicans back to the White House in 2016.

Voter records from St. Mary’s County, Maryland obtained by Florida Politics show Moore registered to vote in the state as a Republican in February 2015, but changed his party registration from Republican to unaffiliated on Oct. 4, 2016. That was a little over a month before Trump won the Presidential Election that year.

That means he changed parties at a time when a number of Republican leaders were especially angry at Trump, but he also did so days before the release of an Access Hollywood tape that marked the peak of discontent with the Republican nominee.

Moore’s campaign stressed he is the true conservative in the campaign and has always supported conservative principals. It was also noted the Republican Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, has been a long-time critic of Trump.

“The real story is that Brad Yeager is financed by donors of Joe Biden, the Lincoln Project, and Liz Cheney,” a campaign statement reads. “But if the Yeager campaign wants to make an issue of Mr. Moore disaffiliating from an Anti-Trump organization, they can be our guest. They already made a mockery of themselves when they insulted all veterans who served from 2009-2017 by describing them as progressive liberals”

Whatever the reason, Moore bolted from the party, and stayed out for nearly two years. When Moore moved from Maryland to Florida, he registered in May of 2017 as a No Party Affiliation voter once he established himself as a voter in the Sunshine State.

It wasn’t until September of 2018, after the state Primary where Ron DeSantis secured the GOP nomination for Governor, that Moore once again registered as a Republican.

He’s maintained his registration since then, so Moore isn’t in a situation that many legislative candidates found themselves in this year, as several failed to register more than a year before qualifying for office.

But the registration revelation undermines claims Moore has made about his party bona fides.

“I am a lifelong Republican,” Moore posted on Facebook earlier this year. “Unlike my opponent, I have not taken a single cent from liberal interests.”

Moore faces Jayden Cocuzza and Yeager in an open Republican Primary on Aug. 23. The winner will be the next Representative for the Pasco County area seat.

Moore to date has largely self-financed his race, spending more than $118,000 to date after chipping in a $120,000 candidate loan and raising under $5,000 in outside donations.

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].


5 comments

  • Joe Corsin

    August 3, 2022 at 8:02 am

    Vote RED for far right filthy filthys
    Vote RED for neo nazi nasty nastys
    Vote RED for grifter greasy greasys

    • Fritz the Cat

      August 11, 2022 at 3:16 pm

      Vote blue if you support lying, cheating and underhandedness
      Vote blue if you support a clearly unqualified, and clearly un-American Dumocratic Party
      Vote blue if you want communism, and an obvious unequal justice system

  • PeterH

    August 3, 2022 at 9:56 am

    Gallop polling “what is your Party Affiliation?

    Democrats 27%
    Republicans 27%
    Independents 43%

    Americans deliver financial support to two parties that serve up candidates. Independent voters decide elections.

    • Jeff Hollingsworth

      August 9, 2022 at 3:30 pm

      Independent voters may decide general elections, but maybe they’re not as independent or “above it all” as they think they are. Yes, the political parties select the candidates. But independents, who can’t be bothered to affiliate with a party and thus have no say in who gets nominated, are stuck with what they’re given. I suggest that consequently, since they did nothing to affect the process, they forfeit any right to criticize the choices. BTW, if you’re going to cite the Gallup organization, please spell it correctly. “Gallop” is what horses do.

    • Jeff Hollingsworth

      August 9, 2022 at 3:47 pm

      Vote BLUE for loony-toony lefties.
      Vote BLUE for smarmy, barmy commies.
      Vote BLUE for unfit, half-wit hypocrites.

Comments are closed.


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