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Republican

Incumbent

Tony Gonzales

Incumbent Republican candidate for U.S. House in Texas

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Republican

Incumbent

Tony Gonzales

Incumbent Republican candidate for U.S. House in Texas

Website

TX-23 Republican nominee?

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MAR 10, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Candidate Overview

Key details about the candidate’s background, party, office sought and current campaign.

Current roleFormer U.S. Representative

PartyRepublican

Age45 years old (Oct 10, 1980)

GenderMale

LocationTexas

BackgroundUnited States Navy servicemember

EducationA.A., Chaminade University (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Notable personal detailsErnest Anthony Gonzales II is an American politician and former U.S. Navy servicemember who served as the U.S. representative for Texas’s 23rd congressional district, first elected in 2020 and seated in 2021. He served on active duty in the United States Navy from 1999 to 2019 and later entered public service in Congress as a Republican. His education includes an A.A. from Chaminade University, a B.S. from Excelsior College, and an M.A. from American Public University.

SourcesShow

bioguideretro.congress.gov history.house.gov congress.gov clerk.house.gov facebook.com en.wikipedia.org senate.gov commons.wikimedia.org de.wikipedia.org gonzalez.house.gov govinfo.gov wikidata.org loc.gov capitol.texas.gov legilist.com gonzales.house.gov tpr.org apnews.com uschamber.com nfib.com ballotpedia.org texastribune.org politico.com expressnews.com nbcnews.com kfoxtv.com bbc.com newsweek.com pbs.org cbsnews.com abcnews.com nytimes.com thecentersquare.com eciks.org miamitimesonline.com washingtonpost.com wakeuptopolitics.com wonderwall.com news.ballotpedia.org cdn.ballotpedia.org developer.ballotpedia.org fec.gov docs.house.gov

Political Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Tony Gonzales describes himself as a fiscal conservative who supports lower taxes, less regulation, and policies intended to let families and small businesses keep more of their income. He has opposed tax increases for Texans and promoted extending/protecting tax cuts while supporting targeted federal spending for district priorities.

Healthcare

Supports protecting and funding Medicaid and other critical healthcare programs, increasing access to affordable, quality care in rural areas, and securing federal funding for veterans, mental health, and community health centers.

Immigration & Border

Supports strict border enforcement and tougher asylum restrictions, including reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy, expediting removals, increasing deportation resources, and designating transnational criminal/cartel networks as terrorist organizations. Advocates expanded funding and infrastructure for border security and opposes catch-and-release policies.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Supports pro-life policies, opposes federal funding for abortions, and has backed legislation to restrict abortion including the Life at Conception Act and heartbeat-based bans. Has described protecting the unborn as a priority and has co-sponsored bills to codify restrictions and bar taxpayer-funded abortions.

Climate & Energy

Supports an "all-of-the-above" energy approach prioritizing oil, natural gas, and domestic energy production; opposes what he calls a "rush-to-green" agenda and regulatory actions that limit fossil-fuel use; also backs some renewable development and targeted energy research/investments.

Public Safety & Guns

Tony Gonzales has both supported specific gun-safety measures (including votes tied to expanded background checks and funding to encourage red-flag laws after the Uvalde shooting) while also defending Second Amendment rights and opposing broad weapons bans. He has sponsored and announced funding for school-safety measures and has criticized actions he views as infringing on gun rights. Overall his record contains both votes in favor of targeted gun-safety legislation and statements defending gun ownership rights.

Latest News

AINews Summary

Last updatedJul 15, 2026

Tony Gonzales has announced he will resign from Congress and end his reelection campaign in Texas’s 23rd District. His exit follows a scandal involving alleged sexually explicit messages with a staffer, along with a House Ethics Committee investigation and pressure from fellow Republicans. The race has now shifted toward Brandon Herrera as the likely Republican nominee.

bioguideretro.congress.gov+42

Articles

NNewsmax5 months ago