Meet the new Texans in Congress

By Matthew Choi, The Texas Tribune

“Meet the new Texans in Congress” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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WASHINGTON — Texas will get four new members of the U.S. House in January after this year’s election including one member who is the delegation’s first LGBTQ+ member and another who will be the youngest sitting Republican in the House.

The new members will be replacing some of the longest-serving and senior members of Texas’ congressional delegation.

One other new member, U.S. Rep. Erica Lee Carter, has already started working in the U.S. House. She is the daughter of the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died of cancer earlier this year, and will finish out her mother’s term which ends in early January.

Texas has the second largest delegation in Congress, with 38 members of the House in addition to its two senators. Texans in Congress have historically wielded considerable power, including leadership posts and chairmanships of some of the most influential committees. But recent turnover among the state’s members has cost the state years of seniority and diluted its sway.

The next Congress will swear in the House after the speaker is elected on Jan. 3.

Craig Goldman – District 12

State Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, promises to bring years of legislative experience to Congress, after spending more than a decade serving in the Texas House. Prior to his congressional win this year, he chaired the Texas House Republican Caucus, serving as a top lieutenant to House Speaker Dade Phelan.

Border security will top much of Goldman’s legislative agenda, specifically ensuring the federal government shoulders more of Texas’ border hardening expenses under Operation Lone Star. The state has spent over $11 billion to curb migration on the southern border, and Goldman said making the federal government pick up the tab would be his “top priority.”

“We want that line item in the Texas state budget to go away because it’s the federal government’s problem,” Goldman said in an interview with CBS Texas.

He’ll be replacing longtime U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, who has served in Congress since 1997. She is the longest serving Republican in the Texas delegation and had considerable influence in Congress as the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee. The committee is in charge of allocating funding for federal programs and is one of the most powerful in the House. Granger stepped down from the chairmanship earlier this year.

Like Granger, Goldman will be a voice in Congress for Fort Worth’s business community, which supported his campaign during a competitive Republican primary. Granger was an ardent supporter of North Texas businesses, particularly the defense sector, using her position on the Appropriations Committee to fund defense interests in the district. Goldman reiterated his commitments to the city’s defense base during a primary debate in April.

Goldman’s win in the Republican primary was seen by some as a rebuke of the cultural far right, which has seen growing influence in Congress and Tarrant County. Goldman voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state House last year, earning him the ire of the right wing of the party. Paxton targeted Goldman in the primary and boosted his preferred candidate, business owner John O’Shea.

But Goldman defeated O’Shea with a well funded operation backed by major business donors. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, who served as a Granger staffer, endorsed Goldman, saying he would continue Granger’s legacy of quiet but serious legislating. U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, a centrist Fort Worth Democrat, said the city was “breathing a sigh of relief” with his nomination.

“Big shoes to fill, and I look forward to doing exactly what [Granger] did and advocating for all the constituents,” Goldman said in a recent interview.

Sylvester Turner – District 18

Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat, will replace longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who was one of the longest serving members of the Texas delegation when she died this summer. Turner served as Houston mayor from 2016 to 2024 and as a member of the Texas House from 1989 to 2016.

Turner ran on a message of legislative experience, working with Republicans in both the state House and as mayor, while still advocating progressive values aligned with Jackson Lee’s tenure. One of his final acts as mayor was to secure the 2028 Republican National Convention in the city. He also touted his familiarity with local projects in need of federal funding. Jackson Lee was known for her voracious advocacy for federal money to go toward Houston.

Continuing Jackson Lee’s legacy, Turner said he hopes to someday serve on the House Appropriations Committee, which decides the amount of federal funding that goes to different projects. But he acknowledges that new members hardly ever get assigned to the powerful committee and also is interested in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee or the Homeland Security Committee, both relevant to Houston’s large international port.

Jackson Lee “was very instrumental in bringing federal resources, federal help, back to the 18th [Congressional District]. I certainly want to continue that,” Turner said. “The district is in need of so much.”

Jackson Lee was a progressive fighter in Congress, an early defender of LGBTQ+ causes and a consistent voice for civil rights. She served as a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Turner stands by many of the same causes of Jackson Lee, but he said he would be joining the more business-focused New Democrat Coalition, which includes moderate members.

Jackson Lee died after the Democratic primary, prompting the Harris County Democratic Party to select her replacement on the ballot. Turner secured the endorsement of Jackson Lee’s family, helping him win the crowded race to run in Jackson Lee’s place in the general election.

Turner promised to serve no more than a couple of terms, allowing a future open primary where voters will have a say in the Democratic nominee. But when asked recently how many terms he plans to serve, Turner diverted, saying “I’m here to serve. I’m going to serve. I’m not going to focus on that.”

“I said I would serve as a bridge, but my focus will be on serving the people in the 18,” Turner said, declining to give a number of terms he plans to be in office. “Then we’ll see what happens as we move forward.”

Brandon Gill – District 26

Brandon Gill is vowing to be President-elect Donald Trump’s biggest supporter in Congress.

Gill replaces longtime U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, who has represented the district since 2003. Burgess is the chair of the House Rules Committee and a high ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the most coveted committee assignments for energy-rich Texas.

In contrast, Gill will be one of the youngest members of Congress and the youngest sitting Republican at 30 years old. He moved to his district only a year before his election, though he grew up in a small town outside Abilene roughly three hours away. He has no experience in elected office.

Still, Gill was able to beat out more experienced candidates in a crowded primary with the endorsement of some of the biggest names in the Republican Party. Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan, Ronny Jackson and Troy Nehls all endorsed him. He proved his loyalty to Trump by running an openly pro-Trump news website and helping produce “2000 Mules,” a debunked documentary that suggested the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Gill worked on the film with his father-in-law, Dinesh D’Souza.

Gill has presented himself as the next generation of Republicans who are repelled by political correctness. The Trump campaign made considerable outreach to younger voters this cycle, and Gill sees greater opportunity to grow the momentum.

“Younger voters are looking, more than anything, for sincerity. They’re looking for people who understand what they’re going through,” Gill said in a recent interview with Fox News.

Gill has already shown promise within the Republican Conference. He was elected president of the freshman class, a largely ceremonial role, and he was selected to serve on the Republican Policy Committee, taking a seat previously occupied by U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw. The Republican Policy Committee helps direct the party’s legislative goals.

In terms of Gill’s own policy priorities, Trump will be the guiding light. Gill said he will work in lockstep with the incoming president, advocating his legislative agenda, including hardening the border, executing mass deportations and cutting taxes.

“What I’m most interested in right now is getting as much of the Trump agenda passed as quickly as possible,” Gill said in an interview. “We’ve got a mandate, but it’s a mandate for the Trump agenda. There’s nobody who did more to get us this congressional majority more than President Trump.”

Julie Johnson – District 32

Democratic state Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Farmers Branch, will be the first openly gay member of Congress from a Southern state. She will replace U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who gave up his comfortably blue seat when he ran and lost against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Johnson first entered the state House in 2018 beating hardline Republican Rep. Matt Rinaldi, who later went on to chair the Texas Republican Party. She focused her time in the Legislature both resisting Republican bills, including anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and building coalitions with Republicans on issues such as health care. It’s the kind of fighting spirit Johnson plans to bring to the U.S. House as Republicans maintain their majority next year.

“I have a lot of experience serving in the minority party in the Texas Legislature. I’ve been very effective in that environment,” Johnson said. “I’ll absolutely take that perspective and that experience with me to DC.”

Johnson was endorsed by the business-minded New Democrats. She also secured the endorsement of several prominent members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, including U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett of Austin, Becca Balint of Vermont, Robert Garcia of California, Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico and Mark Takano of California.

Johnson’s policy priorities focus on both expanding economic opportunity through workforce development and Democratic social policies, including creating a national right to abortion. She credits her focus on kitchen table issues for her strong success in her district, where she won by over 23 points against Republican Darrell Day.

“The fact that I was able to win as strongly as I won as the first openly gay person in the state of Texas to the United States Congress is a testament to our campaign, which was economic-focused, which was business-focused,” Johnson said.

Johnson had the support of several major names in Democratic politics as she entered a crowded primary field to replace Allred, including Allred himself. Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former Ambassador Ron Kirk, both Democrats who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in Texas, also endorsed Johnson.

Erica Lee Carter – District 18

Jackson Lee’s daughter, Erica Lee Carter, is filling the 18th Congressional District seat until the end of the current Congress. Carter was elected in a special election to serve out the remainder of her mother’s term and was sworn in earlier this month. Turner will replace Carter when the next Congress is sworn in in January.

Carter previously served on the Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees and as a policy adviser to Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, focusing on voting rights, budget management and economic equality. She has also worked as a first grade teacher in Houston Independent School District.

Carter’s short time in Congress is slated to be relatively quiet. There are less than two months left in the current Congress, with breaks scheduled for the holidays. With Democrats preparing to lose control of the Senate and White House and Republicans poised to maintain control of the House, Republicans are incentivized to stall legislation until next year when they will have a better hand in passing their agenda.

Still, Carter sees room to continue her mother’s legacy. She is advocating the bipartisan Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act with Sen. John Cornyn to improve safety for federal judges and the Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act with Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, to tackle child trafficking, a major problem in Houston. Both were bills introduced by Jackson Lee this Congress.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries seated Carter on the House Judiciary Committee, which Jackson Lee served on, and Carter plans to continue advocating for community project funding for Houston as Congress negotiates next year’s appropriations.

Carter endorsed Turner in his bid for the 18th district. While she appreciates Turner’s comments months ago that he would only serve a handful of terms, she is not opposed to him continuing to run for reelection.

“I never want to take responsibility away from the voters to decide, because it’s always an opportunity to express where you want your leadership to head,” Carter said.

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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/27/texas-newly-elected-congress-brandon-gill-julie-johnson-sylvester-turn/.

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