By Christopher Cadelago, Sacramento Bee

In the last few weeks, Art Moore convened with business owners at Gar Woods Grill and Pier in Carnelian Bay.

He learned about California’s bread basket from the Madera County Farm Bureau and cheered on the state’s Olympians at a homecoming in Squaw Valley. Moore met with seniors in Roseville, gathered with veterans in Foresthill and joined families for an egg hunt in Granite Bay. There was breakfast at Heidi’s Family Restaurant in South Lake Tahoe and lunch at Hog Wild BBQ in Placerville.

For Moore, 36, it’s all new territory as he mounts an unexpected challenge to Rep. Tom McClintock, a conservative icon in California.

A Susanville native who recently moved to Roseville from Alexandria, Va., Moore spent years climbing the ranks of the military and then in private business, with little desire for the handshaking, baby-kissing and meat-on-a-stick eating activities that define campaigns. He had never registered to vote, let alone cast a ballot in an election, adhering to a philosophy that career military officers should avoid partisan politics. He registered for the first time – as a Republican – in January.

But for a nonpolitician, Moore’s entry into the sprawling 4th District race centered in Placer and El Dorado counties has touched off a wealth of political intrigue.

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