Texas Republican Tony Gonzales, who last year won a rare rebuke from his own state party for breaking with congressional conservatives on key issues, was forced to run Tuesday night in a right-wing runoff against rival Brandon Herrera.
The race was one of the most-watched House primaries in Texas, where U. S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee won the Democratic nomination, fending off a challenge months after squandering her bid for mayor of Houston.
Along the Texas-Mexico border, U. S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz won the Republican nomination and will face Democratic homeowner Michelle Vallejo in November. The district is expected to be a target for Democrats in November.
Here’s a more in-depth look at the most important congressional primaries in Texas:
A FOLLOW-UP IN A TRENDY TEXAS BORDER DISTRICT The No. 1 is Gonzales’ first crusade since the state party punished him for a record vote that underscored a streak of independence. It included protections for same-sex marriage and new gun protection legislation in the wake of the 2022 Uvalde school shooting in his district, which left another 21 people dead.
Herrera is a gun rights activist who produces videos on YouTube. He was one of four other people who challenged Gonzales in the GOP primary. A candidate will have to win more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff.
The moment will take place on May 28.
Herrera, a gun manufacturer whose family has ties to Texas, moved to the Lone Star State in 2020 due to frustration with COVID-19 restrictions, according to his campaign website.
Immigration is a key factor in the district, which covers a long stretch of the U. S. -Mexico border from El Paso to San Antonio. The district encompasses Eagle Pass, which has been embroiled in a turf war between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden’s administration over immigration enforcement.
Gonzales, a San Antonio native, was first elected in 2020.
A longtime congresswoman is turning down a rare challenge. Jackson Lee didn’t announce he would seek re-election in his Houston district until December, after squandering the mayoral race. John Whitmire, a former Democratic state legislator, defeated her in the marvel of proper mayor of the nation’s fourth-largest city after Jackson Lee faced backlash over an unverified audio recording in which he allegedly berated staff with a series of expletives.
In Tuesday’s primary, he fended off a challenge in his predominantly Democratic district by former Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards.
Edwards had dropped out of the mayoral race and was running for Jackson Lee’s seat when the longtime congresswoman announced her candidacy for mayor.
Jackson Lee faced opponents several times in his nearly three-decade career in the House and defeated them outright.
Texas state Rep. Craig Goldman will face landlord and developer John O’Shea in the runoff election in May, after neither candidate won a majority of the vote.
O’Shea won the presidency from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton because Goldman was among the Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton last year. Paxton narrowly survived accusations of corruption and abuse of power.
Fort Worth-area’s 12th Congressional District is open for the first time in just 30 years after Rep. Kay Granger announced in November that she would seek reelection.
DEMOCRATS HOPE TO SECURE A STOPOVER IN SOUTH TEXAS In Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz won the Republican nomination in her bid for her competitive South Texas district.
De La Cruz will face businesswoman Michelle Vallejo, who will be the No. 1 Democrat on Tuesday. Democrats hope to win that seat in November.
Immigration is also a central factor for the district, which stretches from the U. S. -Mexico border to a county east of San Antonio.
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All references to U. S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz have been corrected to De La Cruz de los Angeles Cruz or simply De Cruz.
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