U.S. Representative, Texas's 5th Congressional District

Lance Gooden is a Republican who has represented Texas's 5th Congressional District since 2019 and serves on the House Judiciary and Armed Services committees¹. He previously represented District 4 in the Texas House from 2011 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2019, and has worked as an insurance broker and risk-management consultant¹. He was unopposed in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary¹.

Where they stand

• Energy and climate: All of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pick Said · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which used tax credits and incentives to speed a shift to cleaner energy. (2022-08-12) source
  • Voted for the Lower Energy Costs Act, which expanded oil, gas and mineral production and sped up permits for energy projects. (2023-03-30) source
  • His official site says an all-of-the-above approach to powering the country creates jobs and lowers costs, and calls for addressing burdensome regulations while protecting the environment. (2026) source
• Healthcare: Private insurance with more competition and price transparency, keeping protections for pre-existing conditions Said · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which expanded association health plans and required drug middleman (PBM) price transparency. (2025-12-17) source
  • Voted against restoring the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits for three years. (2026-01-08) source
  • His official site says socializing medicine would make health care more expensive and that free-market solutions should be used to reduce costs, improve outcomes and increase patient choice. (2026) source
• Immigration: Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steady Said · high confidence
  • Voted against the American Dream and Promise Act, which offered a path to citizenship for Dreamers. (2021-03-18) source
  • Voted against the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which offered legal status to long-time farmworkers. (2021-03-18) source
  • Voted for the Secure the Border Act, which funded border wall construction, tightened asylum rules and required E-Verify. (2023-05-11) source
  • Voted for the Secure America Act, which provides about $70 billion for immigration enforcement and border security through 2029. (2026-06-09) source
  • His official site says he has worked with President Trump to secure the southern border and remove criminal illegal aliens, and stands with Border Patrol and ICE. (2026) source
  • Sponsored the End Sanctuary Cities Act of 2026. (2026-02-20) source
  • Sponsored the Protecting American Lives Act, which would deny certain federal law enforcement grants to jurisdictions that do not honor immigration detainers and raise penalties for illegal reentry. (2019-05-23) source
• Abortion: Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incest Said · low confidence
  • Voted against the Women's Health Protection Act, which would protect abortion access nationwide before viability. (2021-09-24) source
  • Voted against the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022, which would protect abortion access nationwide before viability. (2022-07-15) source
  • His official site says he is proudly pro-life and will fight government proposals that promote or fund abortion services. (2026) source
• Guns: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Said · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022. (2022-07-29) source
  • His official site says the federal government should not strip law-abiding gun owners of the right to bear arms because of a few unstable people. (2026) source
• Business regulation: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Official action · medium confidence
  • His official site says addressing burdensome regulations and supporting free market principles will promote economic growth. (2026) source
  • Sponsored the Credit Card Competition Act, which would require banks with over $100 billion in assets to offer a second card network, saying Visa and Mastercard use monopolistic power to crush competition. (2023-06-07) source
• Qualified immunity: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Said · low confidence
  • Entered a statement in the Congressional Record that he was shown voting aye on roll call 60, final passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (H.R. 1280), and intended to vote no. (2021-03-03) source
  • Posted that he accidentally pressed the wrong voting button and that he would not support what he called the radical left's anti-police act. (2021-03-04) source
• Redistricting: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the For the People Act, which would require independent redistricting commissions. (2021-03-03) source
• Campaign finance: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the For the People Act, which created public matching funds for campaigns and stricter donor disclosure. (2021-03-03) source
• Safety net programs: Keep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adults Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Build Back Better Act, which expanded aid for childcare, housing and paid family leave. (2021-11-19) source
  • Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which added work requirements for able-bodied adults on Medicaid and expanded SNAP work requirements. (2025-07-03) source
• Childcare and pre-K: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the Build Back Better Act, which funded free universal pre-K and expanded childcare aid. (2021-11-19) source
• Paid leave: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the Build Back Better Act, which created a national paid family and medical leave program. (2021-11-19) source
• Drug prices: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would cap insulin costs at $35 a month. (2022-03-31) source
• Marijuana: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the MORE Act, which would legalize marijuana federally and clear past convictions. (2022-04-01) source
• Aid to Ukraine: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the $40 billion Ukraine aid package in May 2022. (2022-05-10) source
  • Voted against the $61 billion Ukraine security supplemental in April 2024. (2024-04-20) source
  • Voted against the Ukraine Support Act, which provides military aid to Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia. (2026-06-04) source
• Income taxes: Cut taxes across the board, including for top earners and corporations Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which set a 15% minimum tax on large corporations to help pay for energy and health programs. (2022-08-12) source
  • Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made the 2017 individual tax cuts permanent, including the 37% top rate, and extended business tax breaks. (2025-07-03) source
• Transgender athletes: No, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwide Voted · high confidence
  • Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a federal rule basing girls' and women's school sports eligibility on sex at birth. (2023-04-20) source
  • Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a federal rule basing girls' and women's school sports eligibility on sex at birth. (2025-01-14) source
• E-Verify mandate: Require it for all employers Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Secure the Border Act, which would require all employers to use E-Verify. (2023-05-11) source
• Mandatory minimums: Add or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl trafficking Voted · high confidence
  • Voted for the HALT Fentanyl Act, which permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I and applies mandatory minimum sentences to trafficking them. (2023-05-25) source
  • Voted for the HALT Fentanyl Act, which permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I and applies mandatory minimum sentences to trafficking them. (2025-06-12) source
• Student loans: Cap borrowing, simplify repayment, and skip broad forgiveness Voted · high confidence
  • Voted to overturn the Biden administration's broad student loan debt cancellation. (2023-06-21) source
  • Voted to overturn the SAVE income-driven repayment plan, which lowered payments and sped up forgiveness. (2023-12-07) source
• Aid to Israel: Keep full aid without new conditions Voted · high confidence
  • Voted for the $26 billion Israel security supplemental with no new conditions on weapons use. (2024-04-20) source
  • Voted for the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which would require delivery of weapons to Israel that the administration had paused. (2024-05-16) source
• Politicians trading stocks: No, ban it for members and their spouses Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Stop Insider Trading Act, which bars members of Congress, their spouses and dependents from buying new individual stocks. (2026-07-22) source

No public position found on: National debt, Social Security, Minimum wage, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Judges, Term limits, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.