Ernest Gonzales
Ernest Anthony Gonzales II (born October 10, 1980) is an American politician and United States Navy veteran who has served since 2021 as the U.S. representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party.
A moderate Republican, Gonzales was censured by the Texas Republican Party in 2023 for voting in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. He is also one of 18 Republicans who voted against Jim Jordan's nomination for Speaker of the House all three times, and the only Republican to have voted against the House rules package afterwards.
Gonzales's votes prompted several conservative primary challengers in 2024, most notably YouTuber Brandon Herrera, who forced a runoff after Gonzales received less than 50% of the vote. He won the runoff election with 50.7% of the vote.
In 2026, it was revealed that Gonzales had an affair with a staffer who later committed suicide by self-immolation. Gonzales initially ran for re-election and denied the allegations. After failing to secure more than 50% of the vote in the primary on March 3, he was set to face Brandon Herrera in a runoff scheduled for May 2026. On March 4, he admitted to the affair. On March 5, he ended his re-election campaign amid pressure from party leadership.
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