U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales announced he will no longer seek re-election, effectively making gun rights activist Brandon Herrera the Republican nominee in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
Gonzales’ decision comes after a newly opened House Ethics investigation into his conduct, as well as calls from House Republican leadership for him to withdraw from the race.
“With the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress,” Gonzales said in a written statement.
The three-term congressman said he would continue serving the remainder of his current term and thanked constituents for their support.
The announcement came shortly after Tuesday’s Republican primary results showed Gonzales trailing Herrera in a four-way race, forcing a runoff election between the two.
Under Texas election law, if one candidate withdraws from a runoff race, the remaining candidate becomes the party’s nominee.
Herrera quickly welcomed the decision.
“I appreciate Tony Gonzales for making the appropriate decision,” Herrera said in a statement. “I look forward to being the voice of TX-23 that our district deserves.”
Herrera added that he intends to focus on issues affecting the district, including border security, water rights, oil theft, and the development of data centers.
The controversy surrounding Gonzales escalated in recent weeks following reports alleging he had an inappropriate relationship with a former congressional aide who later committed suicide. Gonzales had previously denied the allegations but later acknowledged the relationship in a radio interview.
House Republican leadership—including Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise—subsequently called on Gonzales to withdraw from his re-election bid after the House Ethics Committee announced it had opened an investigation into his conduct.
With Gonzales now out of the race, Herrera will advance as the Republican nominee heading into the November general election.
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