Lance Gooden

Lance Gooden Bio

Lance Carter Gooden (born December 1, 1982) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Texas’s 5th congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he represents a district that includes parts of eastern Dallas along with surrounding exurban and rural communities to the east. Before his time in Congress, Gooden built a record in the Texas Legislature, where he served two separate stints in the Texas House of Representatives.

Gooden’s legislative work has centered on conservative fiscal priorities and national security concerns. He lives in Terrell, Texas, with his wife Alexa Calligas and their two children, and he continues to represent the east Texas communities where he was raised.

Early Life and Background

Lance Carter Gooden was born on December 1, 1982, in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a native of Terrell in Kaufman County, an eastern suburb of Dallas, Texas. He grew up attending the Rockwall and Brin Church of Christ in Terrell, a congregation he still considers his home church. His early years in this small North Texas community shaped the conservative values that would later define his political career.

Gooden later pursued higher education at the University of Texas at Austin, one of the most respected public universities in the country. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in government in 2001 at the age of 19, demonstrating an early and serious interest in civic life. He continued his studies at the same institution and completed a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance in 2004, giving him a strong foundation in both public policy and economic matters.

Path to US Politics

Before entering elected office, Gooden worked as a legislative assistant to six-term Republican state Representative Betty Brown. That role gave him firsthand exposure to the Texas Legislature and the daily mechanics of lawmaking. He also gained private-sector experience in the years between his graduation and his first campaign, building the professional background that would support his later transition to elected office.

His decision to run for office grew out of frustration with state spending practices and a desire to bring fiscal discipline to Austin. Drawing on his background in government and finance, Gooden positioned himself as a candidate focused on limiting government growth and protecting taxpayer dollars. His early work in the Texas Legislature reflected those priorities, laying the groundwork for his later move to federal office.

Lance Gooden Career

Early Career (2011-2015)

Gooden first entered the Texas House of Representatives in 2011 after winning the 2010 Republican primary with 50.5 percent of the vote, an upset over six-term incumbent Betty Brown, his former employer. In his first term, he served on the House Appropriations, County Affairs, and House Administration committees, the last of which oversees employment by the House. He had no Democratic opponent in his heavily Republican district and won renomination in 2012 with 53.5 percent of the primary vote, running unopposed in the general election.

During his early tenure, Gooden worked on the state budget in an effort to eliminate wasteful spending and assisted hotel mogul Monty Bennett in a dispute with the Tarrant Regional Water District. He helped push legislation that granted Bennett’s 1,000-acre ranch municipal utility district status and immunity from a proposed water pipeline. In 2014, Gooden lost a close Republican primary to Stuart Spitzer, ending his first stretch in the state legislature.

Congressional Breakthrough (2016-2018)

Gooden staged a political comeback in the March 1, 2016 Republican primary, unseating Spitzer with 51.8 percent of the vote and returning to the Texas House in January 2017. His victory set the stage for a move to federal office. By 2018, he had set his sights on the U.S. House of Representatives and the open 5th congressional district seat.

Gooden won the Republican nomination and captured the November 6 general election with 62.7 percent of the vote, a decisive margin in a reliably conservative district. He was sworn in to the U.S. House in January 2019, beginning a new chapter in his political career representing the people of east Texas at the national level.

5th Congressional District Era (2019-Present)

Since taking office, Gooden has built a voting record that emphasizes conservative priorities, including limited government, strong national defense, and skepticism of international institutions. He was reelected on November 3 with 62 percent of the vote, signaling continued strong support from his district. Gooden has been active on foreign policy matters, voting to support Israel following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and voting against a $60 billion military aid package for Ukraine in April 2024.

On domestic policy, Gooden has opposed same-sex marriage codification, with no vote recorded for the Respect for Marriage Act in July 2022, and co-sponsored legislation in August 2022 that would criminalize gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. He was the only House Republican to vote for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in March 2021, later stating the vote was accidental and asking for the record to reflect his opposition. In 2025, Gooden reintroduced the No Tax Dollars for the United Nations’ Immigration Invasion Act and joined Representatives Deborah Ross and Dina Titus in introducing the Pro Codes Act.

Notable Events and Milestones

One of the most discussed moments of Gooden’s career came in December 2020, when he was one of 126 Republican House members to sign an amicus brief supporting the Texas v. Pennsylvania lawsuit that sought to contest the 2020 presidential election results, an effort the Supreme Court declined to hear. In March 2025, Gooden grabbed a sign reading “This is not normal” from Representative Melanie Stansbury’s hands during a presidential address in the House Chamber and threw it behind him. In September 2021, the Campaign Legal Center filed a STOCK Act ethics complaint against him over stock disclosures, which he disputed.

Lance Gooden Career Wins

Lance Gooden has compiled a series of election victories at both the state and federal levels since first entering public office in 2011. His wins reflect the strongly conservative nature of the east Texas districts he has represented.

Texas House and Congressional Highlights

Gooden won his first Texas House race in 2010, upset the incumbent Betty Brown in the Republican primary, and went on to win a non-consecutive third term in 2016 by defeating Stuart Spitzer in the primary. He captured the 5th congressional district seat in 2018 with 62.7 percent of the vote and won reelection in 2020 with 62 percent, demonstrating consistent majority support from his constituents.

Other Wins & Achievements

Beyond election victories, Gooden has earned a reputation for early legislative action on fiscal matters during his first term in the Texas House. He is a founding member of the Congressional ASHRAF Protection and Rights Advocacy Caucus, formed to support Iranian dissidents living in exile, and has been a vocal advocate for conservative causes on cable news and in committee work.

Lance Gooden Family

Family Background and Religious Roots

Gooden grew up attending the Rockwall and Brin Church of Christ in Terrell, Texas, and has remained a member of that congregation throughout his adult life. His faith has been a steady part of his identity and is often referenced as an influence on his political values. While details about his parents are not widely documented, his upbringing in a tight-knit east Texas community shaped his conservative worldview.

Personal Life

On October 1, 2016, Gooden married Alexa Calligas, whose family is from Shreveport, Louisiana. The couple resides in Terrell, Texas, with their two children. Gooden has balanced the demands of public office with family life, frequently returning home to the same Kaufman County community where he was raised.