Republican State Representative Houston Gaines (R-Athens) announced July 31 that he will run for the 10th Congressional District as the current Congressman Mike Collins runs for the U.S. Senate.
Gaines has served in the State House since 2019. In his tenure, he has authored over 20 bills that have become law, including legislation to stop local governments from defunding the police and curb the use of cashless bail in Georgia.
Born and raised in Athens and a graduate of UGA, Gaines is an 8th-generation northeast Georgian. His grandfather, Judge Joseph Gaines, served as a Superior Court judge in Clarke and Oconee counties. The rest of his family remains in the Athens area.