Dennis Moore |
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Dennis Moore (born November 8, 1945), is an American politician, and a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing Kansas's 3rd congressional district. The district, the state's smallest and most affluent, takes in most of the Kansas side of the Kansas City metropolitan area, including Kansas City, Overland Park, Olathe and Lenexa.
Moore was born in 1945 in Anthony, Kansas. He attended the University of Kansas, from which he earned a bachelor's degree, and briefly was enrolled at Southern Methodist University. He received a Juris Doctor degree from Washburn University School of Law. He served in the U.S. Army before becoming Assistant Attorney General of Kansas. After a period in private practice, he was elected District Attorney in Johnson County, serving in that capacity from 1977 to 1989.
He was first elected to the United States House in 1998 defeating the Republican incumbent, Vince Snowbarger. The district had traditionally elected moderate Republicans, but Snowbarger's unyielding conservatism caused many voters to shift to Moore. He thus became the first Democrat to represent the district in 37 years (when it was the 2nd District, it has been the 3rd District since 1963).