Home - JA Moore for SC House District 15

I am running for state House of Representatives because the people of House District 15 deserve a fighter who will put them first — someone from the community who will never give up.

More economic opportunity. More affordable housing. More quality education. More public transportation. More job training.

The status quo – underfunded schools, gridlock traffic, rising housing costs – isn’t good enough.

We need new, progressive leadership to confront the challenges facing Charleston and Dorchester counties. I will make sure our community and our state is working to make our lives better.

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JA Moore is a Lowcountry native, community advocate, and professional chef. His father, the late James A. Moore, was a plant-worker and one of the first African-Americans to serve in the Marine Corps; his mother, Ernestine S. Moore, is an educator and former non-profit executive.

Both of JA’s parents were active in the civil rights movement in the Lowcountry, and taught him the value of service to others. They instilled in him the importance of working to support family while making time to positively affect your community.

During his first term as a state legislator, JA has championed bills concerning education reform, predatory lending, clean drinking water and veteran’s rights. He passed a bill in the House to improve mental health resources in schools, a landmark achievement for a freshman representative.

JA has been recognized for his work by “Run for Something,” an organization that supports young candidates running for state and local office, winning their 2019 “Getting it Done” award, which honors groundbreaking candidates who have made a difference in their community.

With numerous appearances on CNN, MSNBC, CBS and C-SPAN, JA has brought the Lowcountry and District 15 to the forefront of the national conversation and raised awareness about the issues uniquely facing the Charleston area.

A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, JA has over 15 years of experience as a chef. His cooking combines traditional soul food with classical and contemporary techniques. JA volunteers his time and talent with the Lowcountry Food Bank, teaching nutrition classes.

He is the proud father of Mariah Rae Love Moore who was born on August 9, 2019.

ON ISSUES THAT MATTER TO THE PEOPLE OF SC DISTRICT 15

In the State House I’ve been a leader on the issues that affect our community every day. As your next State Senator, I’ll fight for:

In a time when women’s rights are under attack, I have stood up for women and fought for their reproductive rights. As your state representative, I voted against every bill that restricts women’s control over their bodies. Also, I filed a bill that would prevent male lawmakers from voting on issues that impact women’s bodies.
End predatory lending practices in South Carolina because loan lenders are exploiting and abusing our most vulnerable communities.
Reduce gun violence because over 800 South Carolinians are killed by a gun every year. This fight is personal for me because I’ve lost family to gun violence that was racially-motivated. We must extend the waiting period on background checks to make sure everyone that owns a gun in our state has been cleared by the FBI.

Pass a stimulus package for restaurants because they have been one of the industries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of restaurants and companies in the food and beverage industry have permanently closed due to shutdowns and the loss of revenue. As the owner of a catering company, I know firsthand the pain and hardship that the industry is going through.
Ensure safe drinking water for all because a number of communities across our state cannot trust the water coming from their taps. In the richest country in the world, everyone should have access to clean drinking water.
Improve mental health resources in schools because depression and suicide rates are soaring among our youth. I wrote the bill that is now the law which creates mental health and well-being curriculum for all students in our public schools.
Improve veterans’ access to higher education, healthcare, housing, and jobs by enumerating the services the Department of Veterans’ Affairs will provide.