Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) remained defiant ahead of a censure vote on Saturday after he recently split from the Republican Party on several issues, including protections for gay marriage and a bipartisan gun law.
Gonzales stood by his votes on the gun law, the rejection of a border security proposal from Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), and the bill that codifies same-sex marriage on Thursday.
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“If the vote was today, I would vote twice on it if I could,” Gonzales said in response to the gun safety law, which includes expanded background checks and was passed after the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas. Gonzales was the only conservative Texas lawmaker to support the legislation.
The censure resolution was introduced and passed by Medina County last month, which requested the state party also vote on the legislation. Gonzales said he does not plan to attend the vote on Saturday, citing his leadership of a congressional delegation to the Mexican border in Eagle Pass and Uvalde on Monday, according to the Texas Tribune. Other counties have also passed legislation to censure Gonzales.
The resolution alleges Gonzales violated the party’s principles by voting for the gun law and opposing Roy’s border legislation. For the resolution to pass, it would need three-fifths of the party’s votes during the meeting. The resolution would allow the Texas Republican Party to use its own funds to inform primary voters of the censure.
Gonzales dismissed criticism of his votes on Thursday, arguing that his voting record in Congress has often aligned with the party.
“The reality is I’ve taken almost 1,400 votes, and the bulk of those have been with the Republican Party,” Gonzales said.
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Gonzales was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2020. He was reelected by double digits in 2022 after redistricting maps made his constituency more conservative.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Gonzales’s office for comment.
