David Moon (politician)

David Hyon Moon[1][2] (born January 28, 1979) is an American activist, lawyer, and politician. He is currently a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 20 in Montgomery County, Maryland. Since 2023, he has served as the Majority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates.

David Moon
Majority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates
Assumed office
May 17, 2023
Preceded byMarc Korman
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 20th district
Assumed office
January 14, 2015
Preceded byHeather Mizeur
Personal details
Born
David Hyon Moon

(1979-01-28) January 28, 1979
Takoma Park, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMelinda Coolidge
EducationTufts University (BA)
American University (JD)
Signature

Early life and education

Moon was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, to Korean immigrants.[3] He graduated from Walt Whitman High School. He later attended Tufts University, where he earned a B.A. degree in sociology and psychology in 2001, and the American University Washington College of Law, where he earned a J.D. degree in 2004.[4][5]

Political career

Moon has worked for various activist groups, including as the chief operating officer of FairVote from 2004 to 2009 and as the program director for Demand Progress since 2011. He also worked as the campaign manager for Jamie Raskin's 2006 campaign for the Maryland Senate and Nancy Navarro's 2009 campaign for the Montgomery County Council. In 2010, Moon opened his own consulting firm, Moon Strategies.[5] In 2011, Moon founded the blog Maryland Juice, which focused primarily on Maryland politics.[6] In August 2013, OR Books published Hacking Politics, a book Moon co-wrote with Patrick Ruffini and David Segal.[7]

In 2013, Moon launched a campaign for the Maryland House of Delegates,[8] seeking to succeed Heather Mizeur and Tom Hucker, both of whom had sought other office in 2014.[9] During the Democratic primary, he was endorsed by state senator Jamie Raskin, various local labor unions and organizations, including the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, CASA de Maryland, and NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland.[10] Moon also ran on a slate alongside Raskin, state delegate Sheila E. Hixson, and William C. Smith Jr.[11] He won the Democratic primary on June 24, 2014, receiving 18.5 percent of the vote,[12] and later won the general election.[13]

Maryland House of Delegates
Busch stands next to Moon at the Speaker's desk in the Maryland House of Delegates
House Speaker Michael E. Busch swears Moon into the Maryland House of Delegates, 2015

Moon was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 14, 2015,[5] becoming the first Korean-Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly alongside Mark S. Chang.[14] During his tenure, he became known for defending bills during floor debates, especially criminal justice bills.[15] In May 2023, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones named Moon as House Majority Leader, succeeding Marc Korman, who had been appointed as chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee.[16]

In December 2016, following state senator Jamie Raskin's election to the United States House of Representatives, Moon applied to serve the remainder of Raskin's term in the Maryland Senate. His candidacy was backed by the local Service Employees International Union, CASA de Maryland, and Progressive Maryland. The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee voted 19–8 to nominate delegate William C. Smith Jr. to fill the vacancy.[17]

Committee assignments
  • Judiciary Committee, 2021–present (vice-chair, 2021–2023; member, 2015–present; family law subcommittee, 2015–2018; chair, juvenile law subcommittee, 2017–2019, member, 2015–2019; public safety subcommittee, 2019–2022; chair, criminal law & procedure subcommittee, 2020–present; member, civil law & procedure subcommittee, 2023–present)[5]
  • Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee, 2019–present[5]
  • Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, 2021–present[5]
  • House Cannabis Referendum and Legalization Work Group, 2021–present (chair, criminal justice impacts subcommittee, 2021–present)[5]
  • Legislative Policy Committee, 2023–present[5]
  • Chair, Consent Calendars Committee, 2023–present[5]
  • Joint Audit Committee, 2019[5]
  • Marijuana Legalization Work Group, 2019[5]
  • Work Group to Address Police Reform and Accountability in Maryland, 2020[5]

Political positions

Criminal justice

During the 2016 legislative session, following the killing of Freddie Gray, Moon introduced legislation that would make it a crime for police not to seek medical help for a detainee that requests it. He later withdrew the bill, citing unproductive legislative debate.[18]

During the 2019 legislative session, Moon introduced a bill to repeal attempted suicide as a criminal offense.[19]

During the 2021 legislative session, Moon spoke in support of the Maryland Police Accountability Act, a police transparency and accountability reform package,[20][21] and the Dignity Not Detention Act, which would prohibit jurisdictions from contracting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented people in local jails.[22]

In 2022, Moon introduced legislation that would require all law enforcement agencies to wear body-worn cameras by 2025.[23]

During the 2023 legislative session, Moon introduced legislation to prohibit the Maryland State Police from using facial-recognition technology.[24]

Environment

In 2017, Moon led efforts to pressure the Hogan administration to implement tougher water pollution regulations on the state's coal-fired power plants.[25]

In January 2019, Moon authored a letter to the Maryland Board of Public Works asking the board to reject a Columbia Gas Transmission proposal to build an oil pipeline in Washington County.[26]

In September 2022, Moon authored a letter in support of a proposed U.S. Energy Department rule that would increase the efficiency level of gas furnaces to 95 percent.[27]

Gun control

During the 2018 legislative session, following the 2017 Las Vegas shooting that left 60 dead and about 867 injured, Moon introduced a bill to ban bump stocks.[28] The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan.[29] He also criticized bills that would allow schools to arm teachers.[30]

Health care

During the 2023 legislative session, Moon introduced a bill to audit the state's behavioral health and drug treatment system to identify ways to support community-based preventative services.[31] The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Wes Moore.[32]

Marijuana

Moon supports the legalization of recreational marijuana in Maryland,[33] repeatedly introducing bills to legalize and tax its sale.[34][35][36] In 2015, he introduced a bill that would exclude possessing 10 grams or less of marijuana as a parole violation.[37] Moon was appointed to the Marijuana Legalization Work Group by House Speaker Michael E. Busch in 2019, where he helped develop the state's framework for marijuana legalization.[38] In 2021 and 2023, Moon introduced bills that would decriminalize the possession of marijuana paraphernalia.[39][24]

National politics

In December 2014, Moon joined efforts to draft U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren in the 2016 United States presidential election.[40] In November 2019, he endorsed Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries,[41] and later ran for convention delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention pledged to Warren.[42]

In September 2018, Moon signed a letter calling for a county investigation into sexual assault allegations made against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.[43][44] Montgomery County law enforcement officials declined to investigate the matter unless the alleged victim filed a complaint.[45]

Social issues

While serving as a program director for Demand Progress, Moon led protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act and related bills.[7]

During the 2015 legislative session, Moon introduced legislation that would require special elections to fill vacancies in the United States Senate, stripping the governor's ability to appoint a replacement to the seat.[46] In 2020, he introduced a bill that would require special elections held alongside statewide elections to fill vacancies in the Maryland General Assembly.[47]

In 2016, Moon introduced a bill that would prohibit restaurants banning customers from posting negative reviews online.[48]

During the 2018 legislative session, Moon introduced a bill that would prevent the Washington Redskins from receiving subsidies to build a new stadium unless the team changed its name.[49][50] In 2019, he introduced legislation that would prevent the state from providing subsidies or land to the team for building a new stadium.[51]

In January 2019, Moon was one of nine Maryland lawmakers to add their names to a manifesto signed by 326 state legislators to reaffirm their commitment to protecting abortion rights.[52] In May 2022, following the leak of a draft majority opinion for the U.S. Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Moon joined protests at the Supreme Court against the overturning of Roe v. Wade.[53]

During the 2019 legislative session, Moon introduced a bill with state delegate Kathy Szeliga that would require legislative sessions to be livestreamed. The bill was withdrawn after House Speaker Michael E. Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Miller Jr. said they would begin livestreaming sessions in 2020.[54] On January 30, 2020, the Maryland General Assembly livestreamed its first legislative session on YouTube.[55]

During the 2022 legislative session, after the Harford County Sheriff charged four men with sodomy in 2021, Moon introduced bills to repeal sodomy as a criminal offense. The bill was reintroduced in 2023, during which it passed and became law without Governor Moore's signature.[56]

Transportation

In 2008, Moon served as a director for the Purple Line Now! organization, which supports the construction of the Purple Line.[5] In September 2013, he spoke in support of a county proposal to build a 160-mile bus rapid transit system in Montgomery County.[57]

Personal life

Moon is married to his wife, Melinda Coolidge.[58]

In October 2019, Moon had his car, an 2009 Nissan Versa, stolen from his driveway in Takoma Park.[58] The car was found by police and returned to Moon in November.[41]

Electoral history
Maryland House of Delegates District 20 Democratic primary election, 2014[59]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sheila E. Hixson (incumbent) 9,135 24.5
Democratic David Moon 6,959 18.7
Democratic William C. Smith Jr. 6,006 16.1
Democratic Will Jawando 5,620 15.1
Democratic Darian Unger 4,296 11.5
Democratic Jonathan Shurberg 2,997 8.0
Democratic Justin W. Chappell 1,076 2.9
Democratic D'Juan Hopewell 778 2.1
Democratic George Zokle 397 1.1
Maryland House of Delegates District 20 election, 2014[60]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sheila E. Hixson (incumbent) 23,519 31.6
Democratic William C. Smith Jr. 21,989 29.6
Democratic David Moon 21,646 29.1
Green Daniel S. Robinson 6,801 9.1
Write-in 407 0.5
Maryland House of Delegates District 20 election, 2018[61]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic David Moon (incumbent) 38,892 35.0
Democratic Jheanelle Wilkins (incumbent) 36,750 33.1
Democratic Lorig Charkoudian 34,749 31.3
Write-in 718 0.6
Male Delegates to the Democratic National Convention election, District 8, 2020[62]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alan S. Bowser (Biden) 86,067 17.2
Democratic Milton L. Jones (Biden) 82,737 16.6
Democratic William Reid (Biden) 80,607 16.1
Democratic Marc J. Zwillinger (Biden) 80,554 16.1
Democratic Jordy R. Diaz (Sanders) 16,976 3.4
Democratic Danny I. Moreno (Sanders) 15,378 3.1
Democratic Liam F. Berry-Drobnich (Sanders) 15,003 3.0
Democratic Evan Glass (Warren) 13,242 2.6
Democratic Bob Muehlenkamp (Sanders) 12,947 2.6
Democratic David Moon (Warren) 10,162 2.0
Democratic Juan Carlos Iturregui (Warren) 8,111 1.6
Democratic Tom Hucker (Uncommitted) 6,920 1.4
Democratic Benjamin Howard Cole Beaury (Warren) 6,706 1.3
Democratic Scott Evan Goldberg (Warren) 5,845 1.2
Democratic Ashwani Jain (Buttigieg) 4,689 0.9
Democratic Camden Raynor (Warren) 4,471 0.9
Democratic Cameron Walkup (Warren) 4,290 0.9
Democratic Joseph McCarthy (Buttigieg) 4,024 0.8
Democratic Ari Michael Feuer (Klobuchar) 3,859 0.8
Democratic Samuel J. Lieberman (Klobuchar) 3,623 0.7
Democratic Henry K. Ho (Yang) 3,476 0.7
Democratic Benjamin Matthew Wolff (Buttigieg) 3,258 0.7
Democratic Thomas Mulczynski (Buttigieg) 3,106 0.6
Democratic Ronald E. Cohen (Yang) 2,699 0.5
Democratic Joseph David Maka (Yang) 2,324 0.5
Democratic Ken Kerr (Uncommitted) 2,203 0.4
Democratic Jeffrey Zane Slavin (Bloomberg) 2,110 0.4
Democratic Matthew Murguia (Uncommitted) 2,044 0.4
Democratic Frederick A. Olowin (Yang) 1,899 0.4
Democratic Kade Friedlander (Bloomberg) 1,721 0.3
Democratic Richard L. McCarthy (Uncommitted) 1,678 0.3
Democratic Edward Kimmel (Uncommitted) 1,419 0.3
Democratic Andrew Vermilye (Bloomberg) 1,106 0.2
Democratic Joseph P. Esposito (Bennet) 1,040 0.2
Democratic Richard H. Goodwin Jr. (Gabbard) 992 0.2
Democratic Martin Russell (Gabbard) 909 0.2
Democratic John Maslin (Gabbard) 875 0.2
Democratic Peter MacGahan (Gabbard) 849 0.2
Maryland House of Delegates District 20 election, 2022[63]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic David Moon (incumbent) 31,489 33.8
Democratic Jheanelle Wilkins (incumbent) 30,862 33.1
Democratic Lorig Charkoudian 30,130 32.3
Write-in 735 0.8

References
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