Texas Rep. Gary Gates facing backlash after taking private jet to Florida amid outages FacebookTwitterEmail Gary Gates talks with supporters election night at his watch party in Richmond. Gates won the District 28 state representative seat. He received 17,457 votes to 12,617 for his Democratic opponent Eliz Markowitz.Kristi Nix/Staff photo / Kristi Nix/Staff Photo State Rep. Gary Gates is under fire from his constituents for leaving House District 28 on Wednesday as much of Fort Bend County struggled without water and power. After losing power Tuesday, Gates left his home via his private jet Wednesday night and traveled to Orlando, Fla., sparking outrage among many who believe the freshman lawmaker should have remained in his district.