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 Congressional District 10, 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.
The district was drawn to favor a Republican – Collins beat Doherty 63% to 34% last year and defeated Democrat Tabitha Johnson-Green in 2022 without the advantage of incumbency.
