[2] Through his connections with Kelly, Moore became involved in local politics, being appointed executive secretary of the Democratic City Committee in 1940.
[2] The following year, Governor Arthur H. James appointed Moore as a Democratic member of Philadelphia's new bipartisan Registration Commission.
[12] That same year, he advocated tearing down Philadelphia's City Hall and replacing it with a modern office building (the proposal was not adopted).
[18] On the Finance Committee, Moore developed a reputation as the city's "financial watchdog" as he scrutinized spending requests from the new mayor, Richardson Dilworth.
[19] He served as Council's representative on the Philadelphia Transportation Company's board of directors, and fought for the construction of the Delaware Expressway.
[20] In 1958, Moore considered a run for Lieutenant Governor, but changed his mind when Clark, now a United States Senator, blocked the Democratic Party establishment from endorsing him.
[23] At the same time, he found himself (and fellow Councilman John F. Byrne Sr.,) under investigation after campaign contribution pay-to-play allegations concerning work done by city contractors to rebuild the Market–Frankford Elevated Line.