Texan to Become One of Youngest Lawmakers in Congress

Republican Brandon Gill defeated Democrat Ernest Lineberger, 62.9% to 35.6%, in unofficial results Tuesday night to secure an open seat representing Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. At 30, Gill will be among the youngest Republicans ever to hold a seat in Congress. 

The Associated Press called the race for Gill after 9 p.m. ET with about 74% of the vote in.

He will represent Texas’ 26th Congressional District when Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, retires at the end of his term Jan. 3. Gill was endorsed by, among others, former President Donald Trump, the party’s three-time nominee for president, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who also won Tuesday night.

Also in the race was independent candidate Phil Gray, a Libertarian, who got 1.9% of the vote. 

After a stint as an investment banker on Wall Street, Gill became an analyst at a global hedge fund. 

Gill’s campaign emphasized issues outlined on his website: illegal immigration, the economy, crime, energy, the Second Amendment, a pro-life perspective on abortion, standing up for Israel, protecting children from gender-transition surgeries, and fighting cultural Marxism in schools and higher education. 

“My district is looking for a conservative, Republican fighter,” Gill said in an interview with Diya TV’s Ravi Kapur posted on YouTube. “Somebody who is going to stand up to the establishment. Somebody who is going to actually represent the values of conservative Texans in Washington. That’s something we don’t have enough of right now, and that’s something I’ll certainly do.” 

Gill grew up on a thousand-acre cattle ranch near Abilene, Texas. He went to Dartmouth College and graduated cum laude with degrees in economics and history.  

He is married to Danielle D’Souza, daughter of conservative commentator, writer, and documentary filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza. They have one daughter. 

“What President Trump is looking for right now, more than anything else, is he’s looking for somebody who’s going to go to bat for him in Congress, who’s going to defend him,” Gill said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. “Because the Left is coming after President Trump with every single thing that they have.”