Just days after being officially censured by the Republican Party of Texas, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio has gained his first primary opponent—Medina County GOP Chair Julie Clark.
The announcement came in the form of a video released on Monday, which takes aim at Gonzales as a RINO (Republican in name only) for supporting gun confiscation legislation and taxpayer-funded abortions, and for voting against funding for building a border wall.
Clark, meanwhile, describes herself as a “conservative, pro-Trump Republican.”
Last week, the State Republican Executive Committee censured Gonzales for showing a lack of fidelity to Republican principles and priorities. The resolution specifically highlighted his vote in favor of the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act,” which called for repealing the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that recognized marriage as exclusively between one man and woman. Gonzales was the only Texas Republican to join Democrats in support of the measure on two separate votes.
Gonzales has also voted in support of restrictions on the Second Amendment, including so-called “red-flag” gun laws.
Ultimately, the SREC’s final vote was 57 in favor, five opposed, and one abstention.
The resolution was initiated from the Medina County Republican Party, where Clark is currently the chair.
The censure means Gonzales will be subject to the full penalties prescribed by the rules of the Texas GOP, which includes a prohibition on spending by the party in his race as well as authorization to spend up to 12 percent of the party’s general fund educating voters in his district about the censure.
Additionally, the party officially discouraged Gonzales from running in the 2024 Republican primary.
