Representative Houston Gaines, District 117 (R)

2019 – present

Office: 612-F Coverdell
(404) 656-0298
houston.gaines@house.ga.gov
houston@houstongaines.com
Houston’s Website

Code Revision
Appropriations
Health & Human Services
Insurance
Juvenile Justice
Ways & Means
Special Committee on Access to the Civil Justice System
Special Committee on Election Integrity

Signature Policies

Shrinking the Size of Government: Houston Gaines supports tax breaks combined with deep cuts to social programs. During his 2018 campaign, his website stated that “more than anything, Houston’s goal is to shrink government.”

Medicaid Work Requirements: During the 2018 campaign, Houston Gaines’ website stated that “Houston is joining Republicans … to bolster work requirement programs as part of a conservative framework for … Medicaid.”

Opposition to Immigration: Gaines’ website states that he has a goal of “defunding sanctuary cities,” presumably including one of the very cities he represents, Athens. He also has a goal of “deporting violent criminal illegal aliens.”

Election Results

2022 General Election

Houston Gaines (R, incumbent) — 61.2%
Mokah Jasmine Johnson (D) — 38.8%

2020 General Election

Houston Gaines (R) – 56.6%
Mokah Jasmine Johnson (D) – 43.4%

Voting Record

ACC Homestead Exemption: YES
Mental Health Parity Act: YES
Ban “Divisive Concepts”: YES
Sex Discrimination Protection: YES
Complicate Voting: YES
Allow Permitless Carry: YES
Expand Postpartum Medicaid: YES

Learn more about 2022 votes.

COVID Immunity for Businesses: YES
Paid Parental Leave: YES
Ban Banning Natural Gas: YES
Ban the Defunding of Police: YES
Tax Airbnb and VRBO: YES
End the Citizen’s Arrest: YES
Expand Education Vouchers: YES
Restrict Absentee Voting: no vote in House
Allow Early End to Probation: YES
Criminalize Protest: no vote in House
Omnibus Voter Suppression: YES

Collect Internet Sales Tax: YES
Fight Hate Crimes: YES
Adopt Budget: YES
“Peace Officer’s Bill of Rights”: YES
License / Criminalize Hemp: YES
Stop Burning Creosote RR Ties: YES
Ban Surprise Medical Bills: YES
Get Tough on Gangs: YES
Postpartum Medicaid Coverage: YES
Raise Coal Ash Fee: YES
Expunge More Criminal Records: YES (sponsor in House)
Restrict Signature Bonds: YES
Learn more about 2020 votes.

Protect Confederate Monuments: YES
Require Schools Allow Recess: YES
Apply for Medicaid Waivers: YES
Takeover the Atlanta Airport: YES
Improve EMS Transparency: YES
Buy Voting Machines: YES
Rollback Bail Reform: (co-sponsor)
Protect Renters from Retaliation: YES (co-sponsor)
Impose Additional Penalties for Committing Hate Crimes: NO
Ban Abortion: YES
Learn more about 2019 votes.

Controversy

A robo-call push-poll was sent to voters in district 117 that apparently included false claims about Houston’s 2020 opponent, Mokah Jasmine-Johnson. The call told voters that Jasmine-Johnson served time behind bars for a felony but that she “convinced a judge to remove it from her record to cover it all up,” as reported in Flagpole. Houston denies that his campaign sent out false information to voters.