Meet the new Texans in the U.S. House of Representatives
Representative Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, swears-in members of the 119th Congress after winning the House Speaker election in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. Mike Johnson won reelect
WASHINGTON - The 119th Congress began on Capitol Hill on Friday with the election of the Speaker of the House and the swearing-in of its members.
The incoming Congress has four new faces from Texas: Craig Goldman (R) in District 12, Julie Johnson (D) in District 32, Brandon Gill (R) in District 26 and Sylvester Turner (D) in District 18.
Craig Goldman - District 12
Goldman takes over the seat that was long-held by Rep. Kay Granger.
Granger announced she would not seek reelection in 2023. She'd held the seat since 1997.
Granger, 81, was largely absent from House proceedings this year having last cast a vote in July.
In December, it was discovered the congresswoman had moved into a retirement facility, according to Fox News.
District 12 covers parts of Fort Worth and other areas in Tarrant and Parker counties.
Before being elected to the U.S. House, Goldman served in District 97 in the Texas House of Representatives.
Goldman led the Texas House Energy Resources Committee during the past two legislative sessions in Austin.
Julie Johnson - District 32
Julie Johnson
In November, Democrat Julie Johnson made history when she became the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to represent Texas and the South in Congress.
"It’s significant. Texas is the bullseye in this country of hate against the LGBT community," Johnson said of the possibility after winning her primary.
Johnson will represent District 32, the seat formerly held by Colin Allred, who lost a Senate race to Ted Cruz in November.
Johnson's district covers the suburbs in northeastern Dallas County and parts of Collin and Denton counties.
She was a three-term member of the Texas House, represented District 115.
Brandon Gill - District 26
Republican political newcomer Brandon Gill is the newest representative of District 26.
The former Wall Street executive's district covers suburbs north of Dallas and stretches all the way to the Oklahoma border.
Gill won the seat after battling through a crowded primary contest against 10 other candidates after Rep. Michael Burgess announced his retirement after holding the seat since 2003.
The freshman representative is the son-in-law of right-wing commentator Dinesh D'Souza and worked on producing and marketing D'Souza's "2,000 Mules," a widely debunked film that falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen.
Gill also launched a news site called DC Enquirer that supports Donald Trump and has said he would be the president-elect's biggest congressional advocate.
District 26 is comprised of parts of Denton County, Cooke County and Wise County.
Sylvester Turner - District 18
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) is taking on a new role in politics, replacing late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who died of pancreatic cancer in July.
Turner received endorsements from Lee's children following her death.
Turner served as mayor of Houston for eight years after being elected in 2015, reaching his term limit. He was in office from Jan. 2, 2016, to Jan. 1, 2024.
In 2022, Turner was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in his jaw during the summer. He had surgery and received six weeks of radiation treatment.