The son of a former congressman and a sitting state lawmaker are President Donald Trump’s preferred candidates in two open U.S. House races in Georgia.
Trump’s endorsement of Houston Gaines in the 10th Congressional District and Jim Kingston in the 1st District were among a series of midday posts on his Truth Social account. Both men are competing for seats that are expected to remain in Republicans’ hands, but Trump’s backing reflects a preference for the establishment candidates in races where other challengers are positioning themselves as conservative outsiders.
Trump noted Gaines’ years of experience in the Georgia House. Minutes earlier, he had backed Kingston by citing family ties to politics via his father, former Congressman Jack Kingston.
Both men, the president wrote, have his “Complete and Total Endorsement” and “WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
“Thank you, Mr. President!” Gaines posted on X in response. “We will never let you or the 10th district down. I’m honored to have your support.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson also endorsed both candidates in posts timed to follow the president’s.
The 10th Congressional District includes counties in east central Georgia, including suburbs and exurbs southeast of Atlanta. Gaines’ biggest competition in the race is film executive Ryan Millsap, who pledged to spend $4 million of his own money to self-fund a campaign.
Kingston is running in the 1st District, which includes southeastern and coastal Georgia. His biggest rival is Pat Farrell, a veteran local elected official.
Both seats are open because the incumbents, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter in the 1st and Rep. Mike Collins in the 10th, are running for the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.
“It is an honor to have your support in our race for Georgia’s 1st Congressional District,” Kingston wrote in response to Trump. “I look forward to fighting with you in Washington to rein in out of control spending, cut red tape, and protect our conservative values.”
Gaines and Kingston are competing in two of the four open congressional seats in Georgia this year. Trump previously endorsed Clay Fuller in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District; Fuller last week won the special election runoff to fill the remainder of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s term.
The fourth seat, metro Atlanta’s 11th Congressional District, became open when U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk announced he would not seek another term. Trump has not yet weighed in on that race, where former Public Service Commissioner Tricia Pridemore and Dr. John Cowan are among the most visible candidates.
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