Ohio Republican who voted to impeach Trump says he won’t seek reelection

A Republican congressman from Ohio who voted to impeach former President Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol says he will not seek reelection in 2022.

In a statement posted to Twitter, Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) said the main driver of his decision was his “desire to build a fuller family life,” but he also cited “many of the toxic dynamics inside our own party” as a “significant factor” in his decision.

“As Elizabeth and I consider the realities of continuing in public service while juggling the increasing responsibilities of being parents to our two beautiful children, it is clear that the best path for our family is to not seek re-election this fall,” Gonzalez said.

See my full statement below regarding my decision not to seek re-election. pic.twitter.com/vsggxjD1FI

— Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (@RepAGonzalez) September 17, 2021

Gonzalez, who represents Ohio’s 16th Congressional District, was one of 10 GOP House members who voted to impeach Trump for the Capitol riot that disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

The Ohio Republican Party’s central committee voted to censure Gonzalez and called for his resignation in May.

Gonzalez responded that he thought “continuing to perpetuate falsehoods, especially ones that are dangerous that led to the violence on Jan. 6, is a recipe for disaster for the party, but it’s also horribly irresponsible.”

Gonzalez’s decision comes as Trump continues his effort to unseat lawmakers who voted to impeach him. Gonzalez is the only one of those 10 who have thus far announced an intention to retire.

Trump in February endorsed a primary challenge against Gonzelez by his former aide Max Miller.

More recently, the former president endorsed Harriet Hageman in the race to oust Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), one of his more prominent Republican critics. 

Gonzalez had defended Cheney when the GOP moved to oust her from her House leadership position.

“If a prerequisite for leading our conference is continuing to lie to our voters, then Liz is not the best fit,” he told The Hill at the time.

Gonzalez said it has been “the honor of a lifetime” serving in Congress, adding that he will “treasure the remaining months that I have left in office.”

Gonzalez was elected to Congress in 2018, winning the seat that year by more than 13 points. He doubled his margin when he ran again in 2020.