GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales forced into runoff in Texas

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) is headed to a runoff as he tries for reelection in the Lone Star State’s 23rd Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ.

The Texas lawmaker comes in just short of the 50-plus percent needed to win the Republican primary outright and will face Republican Brandon Herrera in a runoff. 

With more than half of the votes reported, Gonzales was pulling in more than double Herrera’s support, but he appeared on track to fall under the halfway point threshold. This year’s Texas runoff elections are set for May. 

The Texas GOP voted last year to censure Gonzales, citing his support of gun reform legislation after the 2022 mass shooting at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school. Herrera, who he’ll face in the runoff, has touted a “lifelong passion for firearms” and positioned himself as a Second Amendment advocate.