Lance Gooden

Alexa Calligas

​

(m. 2016)​

Lance Gooden
Member of the U.S.HouseofRepresentatives from Texas's 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2019
Children	2
Education	University of Texas at Austin (BA, BBA)
Website	House website

Lance Carter Gooden ^[1] (born December 1, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 5th congressional district since 2019. ^[2] His district includes parts of eastern Dallas, as well as a large swath of exurban and rural territory to Dallas's east.

A member of the Republican Party, Gooden previously served as the Texas State Representative for the 4th district (Henderson County and Kaufman County) from 2011 to 2015. He lost his reelection bid in the 2014 Republican primary election but was returned to office in the 2016 election for a non-consecutive third term in the state legislature before he ran for Congress.

Early life and education

A native of Terrell in Kaufman County, an eastern suburb of Dallas, Gooden graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts in government in 2001 and a BBA in finance in 2004.

Texas House of Representatives

In the 2010 primary election, Gooden won 50.5% of the vote, upsetting six-term incumbent Republican Representative Betty Brown. ^[3] Gooden had formerly been Brown's legislative assistant.

Upon taking office in 2011, Gooden worked on the state budget in an attempt to eliminate wasteful spending. He served on the House Appropriations, County Affairs, and House Administration committees, the last of which handles employment by the House. In 2010, Gooden had no Democratic opponent in his heavily Republican district. ^{[4] [5]} In 2011, he assisted hotel mogul Monty Bennett in his fight against the Tarrant Regional Water District, pushing legislation to designate Bennett's 1,000-acre ranch as a municipal utility district and granting immunity from a proposed water pipeline through the property. ^[6]

Gooden won renomination to a second term in the Republican primary held on May 29, 2012. He polled 6,385 votes (53.5%) to his opponent Stuart Spitzer's 5,545 (46.5%). ^{[7] [8]} Gooden was unopposed for a second term in the November 6 general election. In 2014, Gooden again faced Spitzer for reelection, and this time lost to Spitzer in a close race. ^[9]

In 2016, Gooden staged a comeback and unseated Spitzer in the March 1 Republican primary, 14,500 votes (51.8%) to 13,502 (48.2%). He returned to the State House in January 2017. ^[10]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2018

See also: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas § District 5

Gooden won the Republican nomination for the 5th congressional district and the November 6 general election, receiving 62.7% of the vote. ^[2]

2020

See also: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas § District 5

Gooden was reelected on November 3, receiving 62% of the vote.

Tenure

2020 election

In December 2020, Gooden was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania , a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated ^[11] incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state. ^{[12] [13] [14]}

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." She also reprimanded Gooden and the other House members who supported the lawsuit: "The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions." ^{[15] [16]} New Jersey Democratic Representative Bill Pascrell, called for Pelosi to not seat Gooden and the other Republicans who signed onto the brief supporting the suit, arguing that "the text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that." ^[17]

Gooden voted against certifying the electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania in the 2020 United States presidential election ^[18] and voted against the second impeachment of Donald Trump following the 2021 United States Capitol attack. ^[19]

George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

On March 3, 2021, Gooden was the only House Republican to vote for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which passed 220–212. Later that evening, he tweeted that he voted for the bill "accidentally", claiming he pushed the wrong button, a mistake he failed to notice in time. ^[20] Gooden then tweeted that he had "arguably the most conservative/America First voting record in Congress", and "Of course I wouldn't support the radical left's, Anti-Police Act". According to Gooden, he had the official record changed to reflect his opposition. ^[21]

Iraq

In June 2021, Gooden was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. ^{[22] [23]}

Immigration

Gooden voted against the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 which authorizes DHS to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020. ^{[24] [25]}

Israel

Gooden voted to support Israel following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. ^{[26] [27]}

LGBT rights

On July 19, 2022, Gooden did not vote for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law. ^[28]

In August 2022, he co-sponsored a bill put forth by Marjorie Taylor Greene that would criminalize gender-affirming health care for trans youth. ^[29]

Hong Kong

In October 2022, Politico reported that Gooden criticized some US-based financial executives for attending the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit, saying: "The hypocrisy is staggering and every financial institution enabling China's atrocities should be ashamed." ^[30]

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

Gooden was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House. ^[31]

Financial disclosures

In September 2021, nonprofit group Campaign Legal Center filed an ethics complaint against Gooden with the Office of Congressional Ethics, claiming that Gooden appeared to have violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to properly disclose a dozen purchases of stock worth between $60,019 and $376,000 that he made in 2020. ^[32] In response, Gooden claimed that all of the transactions in question fell short of the mandatory federal reporting threshold of $1,000. ^[33]

Ukraine aid

In April 2024, Gooden voted against the $60 billion military aid package for Ukraine, although much of the money would go to his constituency. ^[34]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance (Vice Ranking Member)

Caucus membership

• Republican Study Committee ^[35]
• Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans ^[36]

Electoral history

Republican primary results ^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lance Gooden	17,501	29.9
	Republican	Bunni Pounds	12,895	22.0
	Republican	Sam Deen	10,102	17.2
	Republican	Kenneth Sheets	7,011	12.0
	Republican	Jason Wright	6,675	11.4
	Republican	Danny Campbell	1,767	3.0
	Republican	David Williams	1,603	2.7
	Republican	Charles Lingerfelt	1,023	1.8
Total votes			58,777	100.0

Republican primary runoff results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lance Gooden	18,364	54.0
	Republican	Bunni Pounds	15,634	46.0
Total votes			33,998	100.0

Texas's 5th congressional district, 2018 ^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lance Gooden	130,617	62.3
	Democratic	Dan Wood	78,666	37.6
	Independent	Phil Gray (write-in)	224	0.1
Total votes			209,507	100.0
	Republican hold

Personal life

On October 1, 2016, Gooden married Alexa Calligas, whose family is from Shreveport, Louisiana. ^[39] They reside in Terrell with their two children. ^[40]

Gooden grew up attending the Rockwall and Brin Church of Christ in Terrell, Texas, and remains a member of that congregation. ^[41]

References

1. Gooden v. Weaver et al.
2. "Lance Gooden wins bid for Texas' 5th Congressional District, a position not held by a Kaufman County resident in nearly a century". inForney.com. Forney, Texas. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
3. Ricks, Lauren (March 3, 2010). "Gooden upsets Brown". Athens Daily Review . Athens, Texas . Retrieved December 3, 2014.
4. Formby, Brandon (January 4, 2010). "Tough fights for Texas House shape up in Dallas area". The Dallas Morning News . Archived from the original on May 4, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
5. "New faces set to take office" . The Kaufman Herald. Kaufman, Texas. March 4, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
6. Root, Jay; Svitek, Patrick (May 16, 2018). "Lance Gooden's biggest donor in the Texas Legislature is now spending big to get him into Congress. The two go way back". The Texas Tribune.
7. "2012 Republican Party Primary Election - RESULTS". Texas Secretary of State. June 6, 2012. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
8. "About Stuart Spitzer". stuartspitzer.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
9. "HD 4: Spitzer Faces Gooden, Again". February 19, 2016.
10. "Republican primary returns". Texas Secretary of State. March 1, 2016. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
11. Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News . Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
12. Liptak, Adam (December 11, 2020). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
13. "Order in Pending Case" (PDF). Supreme Court of the United States. December 11, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
14. Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN . Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
15. Smith, David (December 12, 2020). "Supreme court rejects Trump-backed Texas lawsuit aiming to overturn election results". The Guardian . Retrieved December 13, 2020.
16. "Pelosi Statement on Supreme Court Rejecting GOP Election Sabotage Lawsuit" (Press release). Speaker Nancy Pelosi. December 11, 2020. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
17. Williams, Jordan (December 11, 2020). "Democrat asks Pelosi to refuse to seat lawmakers supporting Trump's election challenges". The Hill . Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
18. "Congressman Lance Gooden Votes Against Certification of Arizona & Pennsylvania Electors". January 7, 2021.
19. "Congressman Gooden to Vote Against Impeachment of President Trump". January 13, 2021.
20. Budryk, Zach (March 3, 2021). "Sole GOP vote on House police reform bill says he 'accidentally pressed the wrong voting button'". The Hill . Retrieved March 4, 2021.
21. Gooden, Lance [@Lancegooden] (March 3, 2021). "I have arguably the most conservative/America First voting record in Congress!..." (Tweet). Retrieved March 5, 2021– via Twitter.
22. Shabad, Rebecca (June 17, 2021). "House votes to repeal 2002 Iraq War authorization". NBC News . Retrieved June 20, 2021.
23. "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 172". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
24. "Text - H.R.1865 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020". December 20, 2019.
25. "Roll Call 689 Roll Call 689, Bill Number: H. R. 1865, 116th Congress, 1st Session". December 17, 2019.
26. Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). "House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved October 30, 2023.
27. Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). "Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
28. Lai, Stephanie (July 19, 2022). "House Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill Amid Concern About Court Reversal". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 19, 2022.
29. Migdon, Brooke; Brooks, Emily (August 19, 2022). "Marjorie Taylor Greene introduces bill to make gender-affirming care for transgender youth a felony". The Hill . Retrieved September 22, 2022.
30. "U.S. lawmakers slam U.S. corporate executives' Hong Kong trip plans". Politico . October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
31. "Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no". June 2023.
32. Walsh, Deirdre (September 23, 2021). "Outside Ethics Group Says 7 House Lawmakers Didn't Disclose Stock Trades". NPR . Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
33. Gillman, Todd J. (September 22, 2021). "Watchdog group says Reps. Lance Gooden and Roger Williams failed to disclose stock trades". The Dallas Morning News . Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
34. Thiessen, Marc (April 25, 2024). "These politicians voted against their states' best interests on Ukraine aid". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
35. "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
36. "Members of the Caucus on U.S. - Türkiye Relations & Turkish Americans". Turkish Coalition of America. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
37. "2018 Primary Election Official Results". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
38. "Texas Election Results". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
39. "Off to Rio". The Shreveport Times . Retrieved May 19, 2016.
40. "Meet Lance" . Retrieved December 12, 2018.
41. Ross, Bobby Jr. (January 18, 2019). "Three members of Churches of Christ elected to U.S. House". The Christian Chronicle . Retrieved April 13, 2019.

External links

• Congressman Lance Gooden official U.S. House website
• Lance Gooden Election website
• Lance Gooden at the Texas Tribune
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Appearances on C-SPAN

Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by Betty Brown	Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 4th district 2011–2015	Succeeded by Stuart Spitzer
Preceded by Stuart Spitzer	Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 4th district 2017–2019	Succeeded by Keith Bell
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Jeb Hensarling	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 5th congressional district 2019–present	Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Jared Golden	United States representatives by seniority 209th	Succeeded by Mark Green