Changes

|term_end2=January 3, 2019

|term_end2=January 3, 2019

|preceded2=Betty J. Brown

|preceded2=Betty J. Brown

|succeeded2=Stuart Spitzer

|succeeded2=[[Stuart Spitzer]]

|preceded3=Stuart Spitzer

|preceded3=Stuart Spitzer

|succeeded3=[[Keith Bell]]

|succeeded3=[[Keith Bell]]

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

In 2010, Gooden had no Democrat opponent in his heavily Republican state House district.<ref>[https://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/> Bell handily defeated Democrat Eston Williams in the general election in the predominantly Republican district.

In 2010, Gooden had no Democrat opponent in his heavily Republican state House district.<ref>[https://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/> Bell handily defeated Democrat Eston Williams in the general election in the predominantly Republican district.

In the 2018 primary, Gooden led an eight-candidate field for Texas' 5th congressional district seat. With 17,501 votes (29.9 percent), he was placed in a runoff contest with Bunni Nicole Pounds (born August 17, 1974), a former campaign manager for retiring Representative Jeb Hensarling. The preferred choice of Hensarling, Pounds 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>Texas Secretary of State, Republican Primary Runoff Election for Congressional District 5, May 22, 2018.</ref> In the [[general election]] held on November 6, 2018, he defeated the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Dan Wood, an [[attorney]] in Terrell, a small city east of Dallas, who had drawn 16,923 votes in an unopposed bid for his party's nomination on March 6. According to supporters, Wood would "look out for the little guy" and seek to curb the power of high finance in American government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://votedanwood.com/index.html|title=Texas' Fifth Congressional District: Dan Wood|publisher=Votedanwood.com|accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref> Gooden finished with 130,404 votes (62.4 percent); Wood trailed with 78,394 (37.5 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/nov06_331_state.htm?x=0&y=0&id=545|title=Election Returns|date=November 6, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=November 7, 2018}}</ref>

In the 2018 primary, Gooden led an eight-candidate field for Texas' 5th congressional district seat. With 17,501 votes (29.9 percent), he was placed in a runoff contest with Bunni Nicole Pounds (born August 17, 1974), a former campaign manager for retiring Representative Jeb Hensarling. The preferred choice of Hensarling, Pounds 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>Texas Secretary of State, Republican Primary Runoff Election for Congressional District 5, May 22, 2018.</ref> In the [[general election]] held on November 6, 2018, he defeated the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Dan Wood, an [[attorney]] in Terrell, a small city east of Dallas, who had drawn 16,923 votes in an unopposed bid for his party's nomination on March 6. According to supporters, Wood would "look out for the little guy" and seek to curb the power of high finance in American government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://votedanwood.com/index.html|title=Texas' Fifth Congressional District: Dan Wood|publisher=Votedanwood.com|accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref> Gooden finished with 130,404 votes (62.4 percent); Wood trailed with 78,394 (37.5 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/nov06_331_state.htm?x=0&y=0&id=545|title=Election Returns|date=November 6, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=November 7, 2018}}</ref>