Could Georgia send Houston to Washington?
State Rep. Houston Gaines, an Athens Republican, announced a bid for Congress Thursday, aiming to replace Congressman Mike Collins, who is running for U.S. Senate.
First elected in 2018, Gaines represents part of liberal Clarke County, home of the University of Georgia, as well as portions of more conservative Barrow, Jackson and Oconee counties. If he is successful in next November’s election, the 30-year-old will inherit the 10th Congressional District, which reaches farther into central Georgia and west into a piece of metro Atlanta.
Gaines is vice chair of the House GOP caucus and of the House Appropriations Committee.
“I’ve been on the frontlines in Georgia taking on the far left – now it’s time to take the fight to D.C. and help President Trump continue to deliver for the American people,” Gaines said in a statement announcing his candidacy.
The Athens native pushed for bills targeting so-called sanctuary cities in the wake of Laken Riley’s murder on the UGA campus in 2024 and to punish cities that lower police budgets in response to the social justice movement that followed the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Gaines’ most recent financial disclosure with the Georgia State Ethics Commission shows his campaign with more than $900,000 cash on hand.
Gaines is the first Republican to announce for the seat and a strong contender, but with no incumbent in the race, it could become a crowded field.
Democrat Lexy Doherty, an education consultant from Athens who challenged Collins in 2024, announced her candidacy in May with a platform emphasizing affordability and protecting government services.
Gaines got his start in politics managing Democratic Athens Mayor Nancy Denson’s 2014 re-election campaign, then built a track record of conservative legislation after being elected to the Georgia House in 2018. Doherty released a statement accusing him of being a mushy moderate.
“Honestly, it’s a relief to see a non-MAGA Republican like Houston Gaines enter the race. There aren’t many of them left. Everybody has been sucked into the weird Trump thing, so it’s nice to have a non-MAGA opponent who even opposes Trump on some things. If you squint a little, Mr. Gaines practically looks like a Democrat on some issues. But I don’t think it’s fair when they call him a RINO.
“Now, we’ll see if his principles hold. He’s an ambitious guy, and he might realize that a sudden shift to MAGA politics provides the only path to victory in a Republican primary. It would be a shame to see him capitulate to MAGA and reinvent himself as a mini-Trump. Voters are so tired of fakery and flop-flopping.
“If he succeeds in the primary, I look forward to debating Mr. Gaines next year. The hardworking families of this district need to know where Mr. Gaines’ loyalties truly lie, with them or with the chaos and corruption of Trump’s Washington. Does he really reject MAGA politics, or is it all just an act with him?
“Georgia’s families need grocery prices lower. They need higher wages. They need affordable places to live. They need health care that doesn’t land them in endless debt. What they don’t need is more empty song and dance routines from career politicians who put personal power and prestige over the people.”
The district was drawn to favor a Republican–Collins beat Doherty 63%-34% last year and defeated Democrat Tabitha Johnson-Green in 2022 without the advantage of incumbency.
Flagpole News Editor Blake Aued contributed to this report, which originally appeared at georgiarecorder.com.
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