US Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas fights off challenge from gun-rights activist in GOP runoff

Republican Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas narrowly clinched victory in his primary on Tuesday against a gun-rights activist who forced the border congressman into a runoff election, posing a threat to unseat the incumbent U.S. House representative.

Another notable Texas Republican, State House Speaker Dade Phelan, also narrowly defeated a challenger from the right, who received support from former President Donald Trump.

Both Gonzales and Phelan secured their wins by razor-thin margins, highlighting the discontent among hard-line conservatives and the wave of party unrest in Texas over votes diverging from party lines and the impeachment of State Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Gonzales prevailed over Brandon Herrera, a gun enthusiast known as “The AK Guy” on social media, who criticized the incumbent Republican for his support of a gun-safety bill after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, which occurred in Gonzales’ district. Herrera also targeted Gonzales over his past criticisms of hard-line immigration proposals.

Gonzales, labeled a moderate within the GOP by his critics, faced challenges due to his support for same-sex marriage protections and bipartisan gun-safety legislation following the Uvalde mass shooting. Despite this, he received support from prominent Republicans, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott, as the party holds a narrow majority in the House.

Meanwhile, Phelan, who has been speaker since 2021, faced criticism after his chamber voted to impeach Paxton on bribery and corruption charges. Despite accusations of attracting Democratic voters in the Republican primary, Phelan managed to secure victory, temporarily staving off efforts to oust him from his leadership role.

In other key primary runoffs in Texas, Katrina Pierson, a former spokeswoman for Trump, defeated incumbent Justin Holland for his state House seat, while Jay Furman, a retired Navy veteran, emerged as the Republican nominee to challenge Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar in November. Additionally, real estate businessman Craig Goldman won the Republican nomination to replace outgoing U.S. Representative Kay Granger.