Tony Gonzales

Not to be confused with Anthony Gonzalez (politician).
This article is about the Texas politician. For other people with similar names, see Anthony Gonzalez (disambiguation).

Tony Gonzales
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 23rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2021
Preceded byWill Hurd
Personal details
Born
Ernest Anthony Gonzales

(1980-10-10) October 10, 1980 (age 43)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAngel Gonzales
Children6
Education
WebsiteHouse website
Campaign website
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy
Years of service1999–2019
UnitCryptologic Technician
Battles/wars
Tony Gonzales's voice
Tony Gonzales highlights Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Recorded October 20, 2021

Ernest Anthony Gonzales II[1] (born October 10, 1980)[2] is an American politician and United States Navy veteran who has served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2021, representing over 800 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.[3][4] He is a member of the Republican Party.

Gonzales is considered a moderate Republican,[5][6][7] having voted for proposals such as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the Respect for Marriage Act. In 2023 he was the sole Texas Republican in the House to oppose the Border Safety and Security Act of 2023. These positions resulted in a censure from the Texas Republican Party.[8] He is also one of 18 Republicans who voted against Jim Jordan's nomination for Speaker of the House all three times, and only Republican to have voted against the House rules package afterwards.[9]

Gonzales's votes have prompted several conservative primary challengers in 2024. Gonzales received only 45% of the vote in the Republican primary, less than the 50% needed to avoid a runoff election. He won the nomination with 50.7% of the vote in the runoff election.[10][11][12]

  1. ^ "GONZALES, ERNEST ANTHONY TONY II - Candidate overview". FEC.gov.
  2. ^ Bernal, Rafael (November 30, 2020). "Rep.-elect Tony Gonzales (R-Texas-23)". The Hill. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  3. ^ "Our District". Representative Tony Gonzales.
  4. ^ Cochrane, Emily (November 4, 2020). "Tony Gonzales Defeats Gina Ortiz Jones, Keeping G.O.P. Hold on Texas House Seat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  5. ^ Choi, Matthew (March 5, 2024). "Moderate Republican Tony Gonzales fails to clinch GOP nomination, forced into runoff". The Texas Tribune.
  6. ^ Mutnick, Ally; Crampton, Liz; McCarthy, Mia. "The GOP establishment survived in Texas, but the results were messy". POLITICO.
  7. ^ Drusch, Andrea (May 28, 2024). "Rep. Tony Gonzales outruns Texas GOP's moderate purge". San Antonio Report.
  8. ^ Wesolek, James (March 4, 2023). "Resolution Censuring Congressman Tony Gonzales by the Republican Party of Texas". Republican Party of Texas. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "Moderate Republican Tony Gonzales fails to clinch GOP nomination, forced into runoff". Yahoo News. March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  10. ^ Livingston, By Abby (June 24, 2022). "Texas congressman Tony Gonzales, who represents Uvalde, breaks with House Republicans to vote for gun bill". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  11. ^ "Gun YouTuber forces a runoff for Uvalde, Texas, congressional seat". NBC News. March 7, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  12. ^ Stringer, Megan. "Texas border district race heats up ahead of Election Day". Axios San Antonio.