Texas congressman's breaks with GOP could lead to censure
Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas is facing a rare potential censure back home over votes that included supporting new gun safety laws after the Uvalde school shooting that was in his district
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas was facing a rare potential censure Saturday by his state party over votes that included supporting new gun safety laws after the Uvalde school shooting that was in his district.
A censure by the Republican Party of Texas would underline how the two-term congressman's willingness to break with conservatives on key issues during his short time in office has caused GOP activists and some colleagues alike to bristle.
That independent streak includes opposing a sweeping House GOP immigration proposal over the U.S.-Mexico border, which includes a large portion of his South Texas district. He has also voted to defend same-sex marriage and was an outright "no" against a House rules package after Republican leader Kevin McCarthy became speaker.
Gonzales has been defiant ahead of the vote, which was set to take place at a meeting of Texas GOP leaders and activists in Austin. He was not expected to attend.
“We'll see how that goes,” he told reporters in San Antonio on Thursday.
In practical terms, a censure would allow the state party to come off the sidelines if Gonzales runs again in 2024 and spend money to remind primary voters about the rebuke. Passage of a censure requires a three-fifths vote of the State Republican Executive Committee. More than a dozen county GOP clubs in Gonzales' district have already approved local censure resolutions.
Gonzales cruised through his GOP primary and easily won reelection last year in his heavily Hispanic congressional district. He first won in 2020 to fill an open seat left by Republican Will Hurd — who also didn't shy from breaking with the GOP, and whose aides say is now considering a run for president.
The potential censure illustrates the intraparty fights that still flare in America's biggest red state even as Republicans celebrate 20 years of having full control of the Texas Legislature and every statewide office.
Last year, former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West stepped down from the job to mount a faint primary challenge against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The state party in 2018 also censured a former moderate Texas House speaker who opposed bathroom restrictions for transgender people.
After the Uvalde school shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers, Gonzales supported a sweeping and bipartisan gun violence bill signed by President Joe Biden. He is also the only Texas Republican in the statehouse or Congress who has called for the resignation of the state's police chief over the fumbled law enforcement response to the attack.