Scandal-plagued U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales will face challenger Brandon Herrera in a May runoff for the Republican nomination for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
As of publication, Gonzales led Herrera 43.6 percent to 41.5 percent with 85 percent of the vote counted.
Gonzales has clashed with grassroots activists across a series of issues. In 2022, Gonzales collaborated on a gun control bill following a mass shooting in Uvalde. In 2023, Gonzales was censured by the Texas GOP and called border security an “unChristian” position.
Gonzales came under additional scrutiny following recent disclosures about an extramarital affair with a staffer. Explicit text messages tied Gonzales to the staffer in question, who committed suicide in 2025.
Herrera is a Second Amendment activist, who first ran against Gonzales in 2024. That year, Gonzales narrowly defeated Herrera in a runoff.
The winner of the GOP runoff will face the Democrat candidate in the November General Election. The winner among the four candidates seeking the Democrat nomination was unknown at publication.
Congressional District 23 is one of the geographically largest districts in the nation. It covers a wide swath between San Antonio and El Paso, including Alpine, Del Rio, and Uvalde.
