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'''Lance Gooden''' (born December 1, 1982) is a [[Republican Party|Republican]] departing member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 4, which encompasses Kaufman and Henderson counties to the east of [[Dallas]], [[Texas]]. In the 2010 [[primary election]], Gooden narrowly upset the six-term incumbent Republican Representative, Betty J. Brown, with 50.5 percent of the vote.<ref>[http://www.athensreview.com/breakingnews/x1834681217/Gooden-upsets-incumbent-Brown  "Gooden upsets Brown" ''Athens Review'' March 3, 2010]</ref>

'''Lance Gooden''' (born December 1, 1982) is a [[Republican Party|Republican]] departing member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 4, which encompasses Kaufman and Henderson counties to the east of [[Dallas]], [[Texas]]. Instead, he is party's nominee for the District 5 seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]] in the November 6, 2018, general election, to succeed the retiring Republican Jeb Hensarling.

A native of Terrell, a small city east of Dallas, Gooden, who is adopted, graduated from the [[University of Texas]] at [[Austin]], from which he received both a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in government and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

A native of Terrell, a small city east of Dallas, Gooden, who is adopted, graduated from the [[University of Texas]] at [[Austin]], from which he received both a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in government and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

   

   

Gooden had five major contributors to his 2010 campaign, including the [[interest group]]s, the Texas Oil and Gas Association and  Texans for Insurance Reform. He raised more than $277,000.  

In his first [[primary]] campaign in 2010, Gooden narrowly upset the six-term incumbent Republican Representative, Betty J. Brown, with 50.5 percent of the vote.<ref>[http://www.athensreview.com/breakingnews/x1834681217/Gooden-upsets-incumbent-Brown  "Gooden upsets Brown" ''Athens Review'' March 3, 2010]</ref> Gooden had five major contributors to his 2010 campaign, including the [[interest group]]s, the Texas Oil and Gas Association and  Texans for Insurance Reform. He raised more than $277,000.  

Upon taking office early in 2011, Gooden worked on the state budget in an attempt to eliminate wasteful spending. He serves on these House committees: Appropriations, County Affairs, and House Administration, the latter of which handles employment by the House.  

Upon taking office early in 2011, Gooden worked on the state budget in an attempt to eliminate wasteful spending. He serves on these House committees: Appropriations, County Affairs, and House Administration, the latter of which handles employment by the House.  

In 2010, Gooden had no [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] opponent in his heavily Republican district.<ref>[http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20100104-Tough-fights-for-Texas-House-shape-8632.ece ''Dallas News'']</ref><ref>[http://www.kaufmanherald.com/articles/2010/03/04/news/doc4b8fdf3519325787303344.txt '' Kaufmann Herald'']</ref> He then won renomination to a second term in the Republican primary held on May 29, 2012. He polled 6,385 votes (53.5 percent) to 5,545 (46.5 percent) for his more [[conservative]] opponent, the physician Stuart Spitzer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://enr.sos.state.tx.us/enr/results/may29_160_state.htm|title=Republican primary election returns, May 29, 2012|publisher=enr.sos.state.tx.us|accessdate=May 30, 2012}}</ref> In 2014, Spitzer unseated Gooden in the Republican primary, but Gooden returned in triumph in the Republican primary held on March 1, 2016. In the primary held on March 6, 2018, when Gooden did not seek a fourth non-consecutive term in the state House, Spitzer ran once again and polled nearly 46 percent of the ballots cast. Spitzer now faces intra-party rival Keith Bell in the May 22 runoff contest to choose a nominee to succeed Gooden.<ref name=ereturns/>

In 2010, Gooden had no [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] opponent in his heavily Republican district.<ref>[http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20100104-Tough-fights-for-Texas-House-shape-8632.ece ''Dallas News'']</ref><ref>[http://www.kaufmanherald.com/articles/2010/03/04/news/doc4b8fdf3519325787303344.txt '' Kaufmann Herald'']</ref> He then won renomination to a second term in the Republican primary held on May 29, 2012. He polled 6,385 votes (53.5 percent) to 5,545 (46.5 percent) for his more [[conservative]] opponent, the physician Stuart Spitzer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://enr.sos.state.tx.us/enr/results/may29_160_state.htm|title=Republican primary election returns, May 29, 2012|publisher=enr.sos.state.tx.us|accessdate=May 30, 2012}}</ref> In 2014, Spitzer unseated Gooden in the Republican primary, but Gooden returned in triumph in the Republican primary held on March 1, 2016. In the primary held on March 6, 2018, when Gooden did not seek a fourth non-consecutive term in the state House, Spitzer ran once again and polled nearly 46 percent of the ballots cast.<ref name=ereturns/> He then lost the runoff contest to intra-party rival Keith Bell to choose a nominee to succeed Gooden.<ref name=runoffresults/>

In the 2018 primary, Gooden led an eight-candidate field for Texas' 5th congressional district seat being vacated by the retiring Jeb Hensarling. With 17,501 votes (29.9 percent), he faces the second-placed candidate, Bunni Pounds, in the pending runoff election. Pounds, the preferred choice of Hensarling, finished the primary with 12,895 votes (22 percent). The six other candidates held the remaining 48.1 percent of the ballots cast.<ref name=ereturns>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/mar06_325_state.htm?x=0&y=1394&id=142|title=Election Returns|date=March 6, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=March 7, 2018}}</ref> Returns were slow to report on the outcome of the Gooden-Pounds race, but Gooden led throughout the first hours after the polls closed.

In the 2018 primary, Gooden led an eight-candidate field for Texas' 5th congressional district seat. With 17,501 votes (29.9 percent), he faces the second-placed candidate, Bunni Pounds, in the pending runoff election. Pounds, the preferred choice of Hensarling, finished the primary with 12,895 votes (22 percent). The six other candidates held the remaining 48.1 percent of the ballots cast.<ref name=ereturns>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/mar06_325_state.htm?x=0&y=1394&id=142|title=Election Returns|date=March 6, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=March 7, 2018}}</ref> Returns were slow to report on the outcome of the Gooden-Pounds race, but Gooden led throughout the first hours after the polls closed. Final results showed Gooden with 23,294 votes (53.1 percent) to Pounds' 20,542 (46.9 percent).<ref name=runoffresults>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/may22_326_race3.htm|title=Republican Primary Runoff Election Returns for Congressional District 21|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|date=May 22, 2018|accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref>  

 

In the May 22 runoff, Gooden's former intra-party rival, Dr. Stuart Spitzer, failed in a second comeback attempt for the state House seat. Spitzer polled 5,508 votes (41.1 percent) to rival Keith Bell, who led with 7,892 (58.9 perecent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/may22_326_race3.htm|title=Republican Primary Runoff Election Returns for Congressional District 21|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|date=May 22, 2018|accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref>