Colton Moore

Colton Chase Moore
Born	(1993-10-10) October 10, 1993 Dade County, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Auctioneer, politician
Years active	2011–present
Known for	Representative for Georgia's 53rd Senate District; former representative for Georgia's 1st House District

Colton Chase Moore (born October 10, 1993) is an American auctioneer and politician serving as the representative for Georgia's 53rd Senate District. He formerly represented Georgia's 1st House District from January 14, 2019, until January 14, 2021. At age 24, Moore became the youngest individual ever elected in District 1. A supporter of former President Donald Trump, he was indefinitely suspended by the Georgia Senate Republican Caucus on September 28, 2023, due to confrontations with fellow Republicans and was prohibited from accessing the House floor in March 2024 after making contentious remarks during a memorial for the late Speaker David Ralston.

Early life and education

Raised on his family’s farm in Dade County, Georgia, Moore continues to reside there. During his youth, he admired Teddy Roosevelt for his strong leadership qualities. While attending high school, Moore held the position of state president for Georgia Future Business Leaders of America from 2011 to 2012, overseeing more than 25,000 students and 320 advisers. At 18 years old, he began working as a commercial truck driver and auctioneer concurrently with his studies at the University of Georgia. He earned dual bachelor's degrees in political science and international affairs in 2016. Since graduating, Moore has balanced managing his family’s bulldozing and trucking enterprise with his auctioneering career.

Campaign and election to Georgia House of Representatives

Nineteen months post-graduation, at age 24, Moore challenged incumbent John Deffenbaugh for the District 1 House seat. Operating on a self-funded campaign budget of $3,500—approximately one-tenth of Deffenbaugh’s expenditure—Moore secured victory in the Republican primary by a margin of 326 votes (2,184 to 1,858). With no Democratic opposition in the general election, he officially assumed office on May 22, 2018.

State Senate campaigns in Georgia

In March 2020, Moore declared he would not pursue reelection to his House seat but instead sought election to the State Senate representing District 53 against incumbent Jeff Mullis. He criticized Mullis as a "political boss" attempting to force him out. Moore faced a substantial financial gap with only $26 in campaign funds compared to Mullis’s $250,000.

In April 2020, Moore invited Mullis to participate in a debate held in Dade County; however, Mullis declined, expressing concerns about Moore’s influence over the debate setting. On June 9, 2020, Moore was defeated by Mullis in the Republican primary; Mullis subsequently ran unopposed in November.

Following Mullis’s withdrawal due to health reasons in 2022, Moore re-entered the race for the same senate seat. He won the Republican primary with 51% of the vote against newcomer Steven Henry and faced no opposition in the general election, thereby securing the District 53 Senate position.

In May 2024, Moore captured the Republican primary with a commanding 70% majority over Angela Pence, fueled by campaign contributions totaling $274,000 compared to Pence’s $3,600. He then defeated Democrat Bart Bryant in November’s general election to maintain his senate seat.

Endorsements

In April 2020, Ringgold Mayor Nick Millwood endorsed Moore rather than incumbent Jeff Mullis, highlighting Moore’s opposition to unethical political practices and his support for educators as well as constitutional carry and both Second and First Amendment rights. Millwood commended Moore’s determination to challenge established political norms. Additionally, Moore received backing from Young Americans for Liberty.

Policy and legislation

In 2019, the American Conservative Union ranked Moore as the seventh most conservative lawmaker in Georgia. His legislative record includes support for measures such as HB 2 (Georgia Constitutional Carry Act), HB 481, and the "Heartbeat Bill." He also advocated for implementing 10-year term limits, opposed subsidies for the film industry, and backed HB 179 aimed at reforming school discipline policies, although this bill ultimately failed to advance beyond committee.

Support for Brian Kemp

Moore was the earliest representative-elect to publicly endorse Brian Kemp in his gubernatorial campaign. In October 2018, he personally invested a substantial sum alongside domain specialist Michael Gargiulo to acquire BrianKemp.com, a web address that had previously redirected users to Kemp’s Democratic rival Stacey Abrams’ website. The domain was repurposed to disseminate accurate information regarding Kemp’s campaign. As of May 2024, the site is no longer active.

In addition to his endorsement, Moore unofficially promoted Kemp’s candidacy by spearheading a "Big Trucks for Kemp" campaign throughout several northwest Georgia counties. Kemp acknowledged Moore’s voter mobilization efforts multiple times via social media platforms.

Support for Donald Trump

Since Donald Trump’s 2015 presidential bid, Moore has been an ardent supporter. In 2018, he formally extended an invitation to President Trump. Later that year, Trump and Vice President Pence conducted a campaign visit to Chattanooga, Tennessee in support of Senator Marsha Blackburn’s election efforts.

House Resolution 328

In 2019, Moore was one of ten representatives who endorsed House Resolution 328, which called for Georgia House Speaker David Ralston’s resignation amid accusations of power misuse and unethical conduct. Allegations included Ralston leveraging his authority to delay court cases over 900 times, often benefiting clients facing serious criminal charges by postponing their trials. One individual claimed to have paid Ralston $20,000 in connection with this influence. Moore condemned Ralston’s use of legislative continuances as causing unfair postponements in violent crime cases and asserted that Ralston should no longer preside over Georgia’s largest legislative body.

Opposition to judicial complex renaming

In February 2019, Moore was among only two legislators voting against naming the new judicial complex after former Governor Nathan Deal. He contended that Deal should not represent "the symbol of justice in Georgia," criticizing his criminal justice reforms as inadequate. Moore pointed out persistent systemic injustices within the state’s criminal justice system and opposed dedicating the $110 million facility to a governor who had only reluctantly pursued reform efforts. Furthermore, he flagged potential conflicts of interest in a memorandum addressed to Governor Kemp, noting that Deal’s active lobbying firm represents clients with cases pending before courts housed in the new building—raising concerns about maintaining judicial impartiality.

Georgia Future Caucus

In 2020, Moore assumed the role of co-chair for Georgia’s chapter of the bipartisan Future Caucus, an organization dedicated to informing legislators about policy issues impacting upcoming generations. He shares this leadership position with Representative Jasmine Clark.

Civil War Threats

On August 29, 2023, during an interview on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast, Moore cautioned that his supporters could end up "clashing in the streets" if Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis proceeds with prosecuting former President Donald Trump and 18 alleged collaborators under Georgia's RICO law concerning attempts to challenge the 2020 election results. He recounted telling a fellow senator, "I don't want a civil war, I don't want to have to draw my rifle," and implied that Georgia Republicans might leverage legislative power to deploy state troopers to detain prosecutors.

Georgia Senate Republican Caucus Suspension

On September 28, 2023, the Georgia Senate Republican Caucus imposed an indefinite suspension on Moore due to his public dissemination of false accusations against caucus members. Following DA Willis's indictment of Trump and others on felony charges, Moore demanded an emergency legislative session to investigate her, asserting he had backing from three-fifths of both legislative chambers—the required number to call such a session. However, Governor Kemp's office dismissed this claim, stating Moore failed to present evidence of sufficient support. Subsequently, Moore sought additional signatures. Governor Kemp dismissed the proposal as mere "political theater" and a "grifter scam" intended for fundraising purposes.

After GOP legislators declined to pursue an inquiry into Willis, Moore directed hostile comments at them. The caucus acknowledged his right to express opinions but emphasized that his inaccurate statements created unnecessary conflict and endangered the safety of fellow members and their families.

Following their refusal to back the investigation, at least two Republican lawmakers reported receiving threats online.

Moore criticized fellow Republicans: "The Georgia RINOs reacted to my call for resistance against the Trump witch hunts by behaving immaturely and expelling me from the caucus."

Removal from the Georgia House of Representatives

On March 14, 2024, Moore was prohibited from accessing the House chamber following his public criticism of the late Speaker David Ralston during a Senate session. After Governor Kemp and former Governor Deal paid tribute to Ralston, Moore accused the Georgia Assembly of honoring "one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders we’ll ever see." Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones interrupted Moore’s statement, while President Pro Tempore John Kennedy offered apologies to Ralston’s family.

Moore’s comments referred to investigations that uncovered allegations of Ralston exploiting his position for personal financial benefit, including repeatedly postponing court cases involving charges such as drunk driving, child molestation, and assault. It was reported that Ralston requested delays on 57 occasions across 21 separate cases, often coinciding with legislative recesses.

Bipartisan senators, including Republican Tim Bearden and Democrat Josh McLaurin, strongly criticized Moore’s remarks. Speaker Jon Burns described them as "some of the vilest you can say about a good man." As a result, Moore was barred from entering the House floor. This action was met with applause and a standing ovation. Notably, Moore was the only member to oppose renaming a University of North Georgia building in honor of Ralston.

Detainment

On January 15, 2025, Moore declared his intention to disregard the House ban by attending the joint legislative session for Governor Brian Kemp’s State of the State address, citing his constitutional responsibilities. The next day, when he attempted to enter the House chamber, he was stopped by staff and law enforcement officers. After trying to forcibly bypass security personnel, he was restrained, handcuffed, and taken into custody.

Moore faced charges of willful obstruction of law enforcement and was processed at Fulton County Jail. He contended that his rights were infringed upon and claimed he possessed "more authority than the doorkeeper of the House."

The arrest drew criticism from various quarters; some deemed it unconstitutional and an impediment to Moore’s legislative role. Jackie Harling from Walker County dismissed the incident as a "silly schoolyard fight."

Speaker Burns maintained the prohibition on Moore’s access pending a "sincere apology" delivered on the Senate floor to Ralston’s family. Lt. Governor Burt Jones defended Moore’s entitlement to participate in joint sessions, underscoring that all legislators should be allowed to perform their duties and encouraging a shift away from personal conflicts toward legislative priorities.

Subsequently, Jones confirmed conversations with Burns had resulted in assurances that Moore would be permitted at future joint sessions, reaffirming protections for lawmakers’ rights. Burns concurred that Moore would be granted attendance at forthcoming legislative meetings.

External links

• Colton Moore at ballotpedia.org