Consultant Tony Gonzales, the Texas Republican who represents a big swath of the southern border, on Tuesday narrowly turned again a right-wing major challenger who known as himself the “AK Man,” in a victory that would bolster his get together’s efforts to carry the Home.
Mr. Gonzales, 43, a navy veteran in his second time period within the Home who calls himself a “governing conservative,” defeated Brandon Herrera, 28, a YouTube star who campaigned on gun rights, in a runoff election. Mr. Gonzales was the highest vote-getter within the Republican major in Could however failed to succeed in the 50 p.c threshold, prompting the runoff together with his prime challenger.
He barely survived the runoff election, and was clinging to a slim margin as The Related Press declared him the victor early Wednesday morning.
The race divided Home Republicans in a vivid show of the rifts which have plagued the get together throughout a tumultuous Congress. Consultant Bob Good of Virginia, who leads the Home Freedom Caucus, and the distinguished right-wing Representatives Chip Roy of Texas and Matt Gaetz of Florida endorsed Mr. Herrera. However G.O.P. leaders rallied round Mr. Gonzales, and Speaker Mike Johnson held a serious fund-raiser for him within the district in April.
He additionally underwent one thing of a change through the race, from being an opponent of his get together’s hard-line immigration stances to one of many chief proponents of Home Republicans’ strict border enforcement invoice.
A defining difficulty within the race was Mr. Gonzales’s help of a bipartisan invoice to handle gun violence known as the Safer Communities Act, which fell in need of the sweeping gun management measures Democrats have lengthy sought however enhanced background checks and incentivized states to enact so-called crimson flag legal guidelines, amongst different measures.
Mr. Gonzales cited the deadliest faculty taking pictures in Texas historical past, which occurred in his district at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde, as a contributing issue behind his help of the invoice. Even so, the Republican Occasion of Texas voted to censure Mr. Gonzales after the vote.
Mr. Herrera argued that Mr. Gonzales had turned his again on Texas conservatives, and stated he would work to repeal gun restrictions if elected.
Mr. Herrera wrote on social media {that a} vote for him would “slap the Uniparty institution within the face. Let’s ship the message to DC that in the event that they vote in opposition to the individuals, they are going to lose their jobs.”
The seat was as soon as in a hotly contested swing district, the place a average Republican voice would possible be wanted to win in a common election. However redistricting after the 2020 election made it extra favorable terrain for Republicans. Even so, supporters of Mr. Gonzales warned {that a} Herrera victory might put the district again in play for a common election, wherein Home Republicans who maintain a naked majority are greedy to maintain management.
With right-wing Republicans backing his opponent, Mr. Gonzales went after them personally in an interview on CNN in April, deepening the tensions.
“It’s my absolute honor to be in Congress, however I serve with some actual scumbags,” Mr. Gonzales stated. He introduced up allegations in opposition to Mr. Gaetz that resulted in an F.B.I. investigation however no fees.
“Look, Matt Gaetz — he paid minors to have intercourse with him at drug events,” he stated.
Mr. Gonzales additionally insinuated that Mr. Good was a racist.
“Bob Good endorsed my opponent, a identified neo-Nazi,” Mr. Gonzales stated. “These individuals used to stroll round with white hoods at evening; now they’re strolling round with white hoods within the daytime.”
He additionally took goal at Mr. Herrera in a memorable assault advert, styled after a well-known salsa industrial, accusing him of mocking each former President Donald J. Trump and veteran suicide. Mr. Gonzales’s advert famous that Mr. Herrera hails from North Carolina.
“You deserve a Texas conservative,” Mr. Gonzales stated within the advert.
