Louie Gohmert

Louie Gohmert
Born	Louis Buller Gohmert Jr. 18 8, 1953
Birthplace	Pittsburg, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Attorney, politician, former judge
Known for	U.S. Representative from Texas's 1st congressional district (2005–2023)
Education	Baylor University (JD)
Children	3
Awards	Meritorious Service Medal

Louis Buller Gohmert Jr. (born August 18, 1953) is an American attorney, politician, and former judge who represented Texas's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2005 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party and a figure associated with the Tea Party movement, Gohmert served nine terms in Congress, during which he became one of the most outspoken and polarizing conservative voices in the chamber. Before entering Congress, Gohmert served as a district court judge in Smith County, Texas, and prior to that worked as a Judge Advocate General in the United States Army. During his time in Washington, he was known for lengthy floor speeches, opposition to Republican leadership, and involvement in numerous political controversies. In January 2015, he mounted an unsuccessful challenge to John Boehner for the position of Speaker of the House. After announcing in November 2021 that he would seek the Republican nomination for Attorney General of Texas rather than run for reelection to Congress, Gohmert finished fourth in the 2022 Republican primary with approximately 17 percent of the vote. Since leaving Congress in January 2023, he has remained active in public commentary and East Texas civic life.

Early Life

Louis Buller Gohmert Jr. was born on August 18, 1953, in Pittsburg, Texas, a small city in the northeastern part of the state in Camp County. He grew up in the East Texas region, an area he would go on to represent for nearly two decades in Congress. Gohmert's upbringing in rural East Texas shaped many of his political views and his strong identification with the conservative values of the region. The area, historically rooted in agriculture and the oil industry, has long been a stronghold of conservative politics in Texas.

After completing his early education in East Texas, Gohmert pursued higher education at Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He subsequently attended Baylor University School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree. His legal training at Baylor would serve as the foundation for careers in the military's legal corps, the judiciary, and ultimately in legislative politics.

Following law school, Gohmert entered the United States Army, where he served from 1978 to 1982. He was assigned to the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, serving as a military lawyer. During his service, Gohmert rose to the rank of Captain and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his contributions during his time in uniform. His military legal experience provided him with both courtroom skills and a connection to veterans' issues that he would emphasize throughout his subsequent political career.

Education

Gohmert received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University, earning a Bachelor of Arts. He then attended Baylor University School of Law in Waco, Texas, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree. Both institutions are prominent Texas universities; Texas A&M is one of the state's flagship public universities, and Baylor Law School is one of the oldest law schools in the state. Gohmert's legal education at Baylor prepared him for a career that spanned military law, the state judiciary, and federal legislative service.

Career

Judicial Career

After leaving the Army in 1982, Gohmert returned to East Texas and practiced law before entering public service. He served as a district judge in Smith County, Texas, presiding over the 7th Judicial District Court. His time on the bench provided him with experience in criminal and civil law and built his profile in East Texas political circles. Gohmert's judicial career established his reputation as a conservative jurist and laid the groundwork for his entry into electoral politics at the federal level.

Election to Congress

In 2004, Gohmert ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Texas's 1st congressional district, a sprawling, heavily Republican district in East Texas. He defeated incumbent Democrat Max Sandlin to win the seat, benefiting from redistricting that had made the district more favorable to Republican candidates. Gohmert took office on January 3, 2005, succeeding Sandlin.

Gohmert would go on to win reelection eight additional times, serving a total of nine terms. Throughout his tenure, he represented a district that included the cities of Tyler, Lufkin, Nacogdoches, and Marshall, among others. His electoral margins were consistently large in the conservative district.

Congressional Tenure

During his 18 years in Congress, Gohmert became known for his conservative positions, combative style, and willingness to challenge both Democratic opponents and Republican leadership. He was a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee, among other assignments. His political positions were frequently characterized as being on the far-right of the Republican caucus.

Gohmert aligned himself with the Tea Party movement that emerged in 2009 and 2010, joining the informal caucus of members who pushed for lower taxes, reduced government spending, and stricter immigration enforcement. He was a vocal critic of the Affordable Care Act and other legislative priorities of the Obama administration.

One of the most notable moments of Gohmert's congressional career came in January 2015, when he challenged John Boehner for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives. The challenge reflected growing dissatisfaction among the most conservative House Republicans with Boehner's leadership. Gohmert's bid was unsuccessful; Boehner was reelected as Speaker, though the challenge underscored the deepening divisions within the Republican conference.

In November 2017, Gohmert was among a group of House Republicans who called for the resignation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible connections to the Trump campaign. Gohmert argued that Mueller had conflicts of interest that disqualified him from leading the investigation.

Gohmert was a strong supporter of President Donald Trump throughout Trump's time in office and beyond. He was among the members of Congress who objected to the certification of the 2020 presidential election results on January 6, 2021. According to reporting by the January 6 Committee, Gohmert was mentioned during hearings as being among those who sought a presidential pardon from Trump following the events surrounding the January 6 Capitol breach. Gohmert voted against the creation of a commission to investigate the January 6 events.

A 2022 analysis by The Texas Tribune noted that despite serving nine terms in Congress, Gohmert was the primary sponsor of only one bill that was enacted into law during his entire tenure. The Tribune characterized his career as defined more by "conspiracy, conflict and fomenting anger" than by legislative accomplishment.

COVID-19 Controversy

In July 2020, Gohmert tested positive for COVID-19 after having been observed repeatedly walking around the Capitol without wearing a face mask. His diagnosis drew significant media attention and criticism, as Gohmert had been one of the most visible members of Congress to resist mask-wearing requirements during the pandemic. The incident was widely reported as illustrating the political divisions over public health measures within Congress.

Climate Change and Environmental Remarks

In June 2021, Gohmert attracted attention during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing when he asked a representative of the U.S. Forest Service whether the Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service could alter the orbit of the Earth or the Moon as a means of addressing climate change. The question was reported by Scientific American and other outlets, with many commentators interpreting it as reflecting a lack of understanding of basic science, though some suggested it may have been intended as a rhetorical device to question climate policy.

Gohmert himself acknowledged in subsequent interviews that many people viewed some of his statements unfavorably. In one interview, he conceded that some people considered him unintelligent, though he defended his record and approach.

2022 Texas Attorney General Race

In November 2021, Gohmert announced that he would not seek reelection to his congressional seat and would instead run for Attorney General of Texas in the 2022 Republican primary. The race pitted him against incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton, among other candidates. Gohmert positioned himself as a conservative alternative to Paxton, who was facing his own legal troubles at the time. However, Gohmert finished fourth in the primary election, receiving approximately 17 percent of the vote and failing to advance to the runoff. Paxton ultimately won the primary runoff and the general election.

Gohmert's departure from Congress after the 2022 election cycle ended an 18-year tenure in the House. He was succeeded by Nathaniel Moran, a Republican who won the general election in the heavily conservative district.

Post-Congressional Activities

After leaving Congress in January 2023, Gohmert has remained engaged in public life. In 2025, he was invited to speak at the East Texas Heritage Museum Association's annual meeting and luncheon in Tyler, Texas, reflecting his continued prominence in the East Texas community where he had long served as a representative and judge.

In November 2025, Gohmert shared public memories of former Vice President Dick Cheney in an interview with KLTV, recalling private interactions from his time in Congress.

Also in 2025, Gohmert publicly accused former Special Counsel Jack Smith of having targeted his personal phone records during the investigation into the January 6 Capitol breach, calling it a violation of the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government.

Personal Life

Gohmert has three children. He has maintained his residence in the East Texas region throughout his career, and has been closely identified with the Tyler, Texas, area, where he served as a district court judge before entering Congress. His military service in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps from 1978 to 1982 was a formative experience, and veterans' issues remained a consistent theme in his political career.

Recognition

During his military service, Gohmert received the Meritorious Service Medal.

In December 2022, Texas Monthly named Gohmert to its annual "Bum Steer" list, inducting him into the publication's "Bum Steer Hall of Fame" as a runner-up for its 2023 Bum Steer of the Year. The designation, which the magazine uses to highlight Texans whose actions it considers embarrassing or noteworthy in a negative sense, was framed as an open letter to Gohmert upon his departure from Congress.

Gohmert's congressional career was covered extensively by C-SPAN, which maintained a detailed profile of his appearances and legislative activities. His voting record and policy positions were tracked by organizations such as Vote Smart.

Legacy

Gohmert's 18-year tenure in Congress left a complex legacy. Representing one of the most conservative districts in Texas, he consistently pushed the Republican caucus to the right and was among the earliest members to adopt the confrontational style that would come to characterize a significant faction of the party in the 2010s and 2020s. His challenge to John Boehner for the speakership in 2015, while unsuccessful, was part of a broader movement within the Republican conference that eventually led to Boehner's resignation later that year and the rise of more conservative leadership.

His legislative output, however, was minimal. As noted by The Texas Tribune in its assessment of his career, Gohmert was the primary sponsor of only one enacted law during his nine terms in Congress, a record that stood in contrast to his high media profile. Critics characterized his tenure as defined more by provocative statements and conspiracy theories than by substantive policymaking, while supporters viewed him as a principled conservative willing to fight against what they saw as an entrenched political establishment.

Gohmert's involvement in the events surrounding January 6, 2021, and the subsequent revelation that he had sought a presidential pardon, became significant aspects of his legacy in the final years of his congressional service. His refusal to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by his positive test, also became emblematic of the broader political tensions over public health responses during the crisis.

His congressional record is maintained in the archives of the United States Congress and the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.