[2] He has served as London Grove Township's representative on the executive committee to PennDOT's Route 41, is a board member of the White Clay Creek Watershed Association.

[5] On November 4, 2008, he was elected to the State House, succeeding Hershey, who had declined to run for reelection.

He was also appointed to the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee by the Speaker of the House.

[3] Houghton originally announced his intention to challenge Republican State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi in 2012.

[7] Houghton ran for Congress in 2014, challenging Republican incumbent Joe Pitts in Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district.