Utah Rep. Blake Moore announced he will not pursue the fourth ranking leadership position in the U.S. House Republican Conference on Tuesday after he spent Monday making calls to gauge support for his bid.
The No. 4 spot in House GOP leadership opened up when House Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., was tapped as President-elect Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations on Sunday night.
Instead of seeking a promotion to Stefanik’s position overseeing daily meetings and party communication, Moore will run for reelection to his first full term as conference vice chair, Moore said in a post on X.
“If re-elected as Conference Vice Chair, I will focus on cementing the growing base of our conservative coalition, win the messaging war on Republican tax & budget objectives, & arm members with resources & opportunities to communicate directly to the American people,” Moore said.
Since entering office in 2021, Moore has risen to the top levels of GOP leadership.
The Ogden native, who represents Utah’s 1st Congressional District, was elected as vice chair of the Republican conference over six other GOP hopefuls after multiple rounds of voting in November 2023 to fill the spot left vacant by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
Over the course of two terms he has also secured positions on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax policy, and the Budget Committee.
Moore’s priority is to guide conference messaging on these topics ahead of the expiration of Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2025, he said.
“I thank my many colleagues for supporting my potential bid,” Moore said, “but it is going to be an incredibly busy year on (the House Ways and Means Committee) & I believe that is where I can best deliver outcomes for families & workers across Utah’s 1st District & the country.”
As conference vice chair, Moore has been tasked with organizing daily one-minute speeches from conference members and assisting Stefanik with party messaging.
Ahead of Wednesday’s leadership elections, Moore is reportedly throwing his support behind Reps. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., a fellow member of the “pragmatic” Main Street Caucus.
Other members running for conference chair include Erin Houchin, R-Ind., and Kat Cammack, R-Fla.
The three female candidates are running for a place in what would otherwise be an all-male leadership line up.
Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, who had been rumored to run after challenging Stefanik in 2023 and securing 74 votes, chose to endorse Cammack, a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee.