Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales will survive challenge from right in GOP primary runoff, CNN projects

CNN —

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales will win his Republican primary runoff, CNN projects, overcoming a challenge from his right from gun rights advocate and social media personality Brandon Herrera.

Tuesday’s race in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, which stretches along the US-Mexico border from El Paso to the San Antonio suburbs, had been among the most expensive and bitter GOP primaries so far in 2024, drawing more than $8 million in television advertising spending.

Gonzales was the only member of Texas’ congressional delegation forced into a runoff after he failed to take a majority of the vote during the first round in March.

First elected in 2020 in what was then a battleground district, Gonzales was censured by the Texas Republican Party last year for a “lack of fidelity to Republican principles and priorities.” The party took issue with several House votes cast by the congressman, including for bipartisan gun safety legislation and the Respect for Marriage Act, which protected same-sex and interracial marriage.

WASHINGTON - JANUARY 11: Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, walks down the House steps after a vote in the Capitol Thursday, January 11, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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A key division between Gonzales and Herrera came over gun policy. The district includes Uvalde, which experienced one of the worst school shootings in US history two years ago that left 19 children and two teachers dead. Gonzales’ vote for the gun safety bill in the aftermath of the tragedy became a centerpiece of Herrera’s campaign, which had the backing of several House Republicans, including