His father is former professional football player James Moran Sr. At age 13, he took the train to Washington, D.C. to watch the Watergate hearings.[2][3] The elder Moran helped raise funds for his brother during his gubernatorial campaign, and both represented areas in Northern Virginia, but the two have differing opinions on several issues such as gun control and parole laws.Moran spent seven years in the Commonwealth Attorney's office, working cases ranging up to rape and murder, before he ran for the House of Delegates in 1995.He is a repeat winner of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Legislator of the Year, a recipient of the Tech-10 award from the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and a Friend of Business awardee from the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce.[8] On December 19, 2017, Governor-elect Ralph Northam announced that Moran would continue as Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security under his administration.