Mark David Moores (born April 28, 1970)[2] is an American businessman and politician serving as a member of the New Mexico Senate for the 21st district. Elected in November 2012, he took office on January 15, 2013. He was the Republican nominee for the 2021 New Mexico's 1st congressional district special election, which he lost to Democrat Melanie Stansbury.

Mark Moores
Member of the New Mexico Senate
from the 21st district
Assumed office
January 15, 2013
Preceded byLisa Curtis
Personal details
Born
Mark David Moores[1]

(1970-04-28) April 28, 1970 (age 54)
Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseLisa Moores
Children4
EducationUniversity of New Mexico (BA, MBA)

Early life and education

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Moores was born and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. His mother, who is of Hispano descent, is originally from Española, New Mexico and Moores spent summers and holidays in northern New Mexico.[3] After graduating from Walt Whitman High School, Moores moved to New Mexico to attend the University of New Mexico, where he was awarded a scholarship to play football for the Lobos. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and later an MBA from the Anderson School of Management.[4]

Career

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Early career

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Moores was the chief of staff for Lieutenant Governor Walter Dwight Bradley and a field representative for Congressman Steven Schiff. From 2006 to 2017, Moores was the executive director of the New Mexico Dental Association, where he was responsible for managing free dental clinics across New Mexico.[5]

New Mexico Senate

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In 2012, Moores ran in the three-way Republican primary for the 21st district of the New Mexico Senate, winning with 2,020 votes (50%).[6] He won the November 6, 2012 general election with 14,067 votes (56.6%) against incumbent Democratic senator Lisa Curtis, who had been appointed to fill the vacancy when Kent Cravens resigned.[7] In 2016, Moores defeated Democratic nominee Gregory B. Frazier with 15,164 votes (56.09%).

2021 congressional election

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In March 2021, Moores announced his candidacy for the 2021 New Mexico's 1st congressional district special election.[8] He earned the Republican party's nomination at the committee selection on March 27, 2021. He faced State Representative Melanie Stansbury and former Public Lands Commissioner Aubrey Dunn Jr. in the June 1 election.[9]

Moores lost to Stansbury in the special election.[10]

Personal life

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Moores and his wife, Lisa Moores, have four children and three grandchildren.

References

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  1. ^ "Senate District 21 (R) -- Mark Moores". 8 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Mark Moores' Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  3. ^ Contreras, Russell. "Hispanic college football star gets GOP nod to run in key U.S. House race". Axios. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  4. ^ Simonich, Milan. "GOP's best bet for congressional seat left D.C. behind". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  5. ^ Staff, ABQJournal News (8 May 2012). "Senate District 21 (R) -- Mark Moores". www.abqjournal.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  6. ^ "Canvass of Returns of Primary Election Held on June 5, 2012 – State of New Mexico" (PDF). Santa Fe, New Mexico: Secretary of State of New Mexico. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 15, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  7. ^ "Canvass of Returns of General Election Held on November 6, 2012 – State of New Mexico" (PDF). Santa Fe, New Mexico: Secretary of State of New Mexico. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 4, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  8. ^ Chief, Dan Boyd | Journal Capitol Bureau (16 March 2021). "State Sen. Mark Moores enters congressional race". www.abqjournal.com. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  9. ^ Boetel, Ryan (27 March 2021). "Mark Moores will be Republican CD1 candidate". www.abqjournal.com. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  10. ^ Ethan Cohen, Rachel Janfaza and Eric Bradner (2 June 2021). "Democrat Melanie Stansbury wins New Mexico special election for US House seat, CNN projects". CNN. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
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