Jasper doctor announces bid for Republican Congressional nomination

Dr. Richard Moss of Jasper announced he will run for representative of the 8th Congressional District in the May Republican primary.

Moss says that Republican leadership in Washington has strayed from the voters that sent them there.

“I, like many conservatives, am deeply frustrated by the national Republican Party. Particularly, Republican leadership,” he said. “We gave them historic election victories in 2014. And we know what they campaigned on, and we have seen what they have ended up doing since. In a word, the last election was a vast repudiation of [President] Obama.”

According to Dr. Moss, since taking office the Republicans have failed on several issues including repealing Obamacare and securing the border as well as the recent Iran Nuclear Deal.

“It is a deep frustration that I and conservatives feel about how our Republican leadership in Washington are conducting themselves,” he said.

Moss, 61, is a board certified specialist in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Ear Nose and Throat). He earned his undergraduate degree in Biology at Indiana University and completed his Doctor of Medicine degree at the I.U. School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Moss has been in private practice since 1991 with offices in Jasper and Washington. He is a member of the Indiana State Medical Association and a fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

He has written a regular conservative column for local newspapers for more than ten years covering national issues. He has also written for the Indianapolis Star, the Evansville Courier and Press, the Bloomington Herald-Times, the Petersburg Press Dispatch, and the Ferdinand News.

Since running for the Republican nomination for State Representative of District 63 — he was defeated by Jasper businessman Mike Braun, Moss has been speaking at various events in the region and has appeared at the Indiana State House. Moss said the support he heard from those attending his appearances inspired him to seek the Congressional seat.

Additionally, Moss feels Congressman Dr. Larry Bucshon has also failed the conservatives. “I have no personal animus towards Congressman Bucshon, but I see him as being a loyal foot soldier to the Republican establishment or Republican leadership,” he said. “The way it has worked out, if you support Republican leadership, you support Obama. He is an entrenched member of the Republican establishment. Not a real small government, limited government, Constitutional conservative.”

Moss explained the vote on the $1.1 trillion spending bill last year was a good example of the rank and file falling in line for the Republican leadership. “The 1,700 pages were on the house floor for 48 hours,” he said. “As bright of a man that Dr. Bucshon is, he didn’t read that.”

Moss is concerned that the country’s leadership continues to fail at several key areas; immigration, border security, health care, and national security.

“My goal is to go to Congress and join with other like-minded, conservative Republicans to retake the Republican Party and turn it from a big government, liberal, progressive Republican Party into a true fighting, determined, conservative, constitutional, limited government Republican Party,” Moss said. “As Ronald Reagan called it a party of bold colors, not pale pastels. The goal is to save the country and restore America to greatness.”

Moss said that plans are underway for him to make his official announcement in Evansville on Saturday, Oct. 17. He made a surprise announcement during the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival in Evansville Wednesday evening.

He has been married to his wife, Supit (“Ying”), for 26 years. The couple has four children, Arielle, 23, Noah, 21, Adina, 12, and Isaiah, 11.

District 8 includes Dubois, Daviess, Spencer, Perry, Martin, Pike, Warrick, Clay, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Owen, Parke,  Posey, Sullivan, Vermillion, Vanderburgh and Vigo counties along with a part of Crawford County. Candidates will have to file their paperwork with the Indiana Election Division after the filing period opens in January.