TONY GONZALES

This week has been a whirlwind on Capitol Hill. There have been discussions about everything from the debt ceiling, to the spending bill, to the infrastructure bill. So what exactly does that mean for us here in San Antonio?

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose district includes San Antonio, defended U.S. Border Patrol agents shown in a viral video appearing to whip the reins of the...

The situation in Del Rio spiraled this week as more than 15,000 migrants, many of them from Haiti, arrived at the border in recent days, settling in a makeshift camp as they waited for CBP agents to process their petitions to stay in the U.S.

Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano said the tally stands at 10,503 migrants, many of them Haitian.

PRESIDIO COUNTY – Freshman U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales made a whistle stop tour through West Texas last week, meeting with over a dozen Presidio County officials to give “a little update of what’s happening in Washington, in the state and in the district,” Gonzales said Wednesday.

Texas border lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to prioritize the health and safety of border agents and communities amid a COVID-19 case surge.

Congressman Tony Gonzales secured $1 million in funding for the Archaeology, Anthropology and Cultural Research Center at Sul Ross State University.

It’s almost been a full year since a United States resident living in San Antonio was tricked onto a private charter flight that ended with his arrest and imprisonment once he landed in Rwanda.

After breaking party lines last month and voting to create an independent commission to probe the deadly January 6 insurrection, Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales...

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales will tour the Texas-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday to get an update on the migrant surge in the region. The congressional delegation from Texas will be joined by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House approved the creation of a bipartisan commission to investigate the causes of and government response to the Jan. 6 insurrection during which a pro-Donald Trump mob violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to block the certification of the 2020 election results. Several Texas congressional members braced themselves that day for hand-to-hand combat but were able to escape to safety thanks to the police and successful barricades.

ALPINE – The Center for Big Bend Studies may be getting $1,000,000 to supplement its efforts to research and preserve areas of historical significance in the Chihuahuan Desert. In April, Sul Ross State University submitted a proposal to U.S. Congressman Tony Gonzales’ office in the hopes of cashing in on federal funds set aside specifically for community projects. Last week, Gonzales put his stamp of approval on the proposal alongside nine others.

A South Texas farmer found five young girls outside his property amid an influx of people crossing the border to seek asylum.

"It is heartbreaking to find such small children fending for themselves in the middle of nowhere," a Border Patrol official said.

Two Republican members of San Antonio's congressional delegation have racked up campaign donations from Steve Wynn, the Las Vegas casino mogul who left his company...

Some Republicans aren't exactly thrilled that the GOP has rebranded as the POT, or Party of Trump. Case in point: a conservative anti-Trump group called...

Three Texas lawmakers announced Thursday that they intend on introducing a bicameral, bipartisan bill that will address the growing number of migrants reaching the country’s southern border.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Reps. Henry Cuellar and Tony Gonzales are expected to announce a bill to address the influx of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

In a rare sign of Washington bipartisanship, two members of San Antonio's congressional delegation are partnering with one of Texas' senators on a proposal to...

Law enforcement agencies and leaders from several border cities in the Eagle Pass area shared on Thursday what they are experiencing in their communities.

(Update: The news conference is over. We will have more coverage on the trip later this afternoon or this evening.)

<figcaption> The U.S. Capitol in Washington. <cite>Credit: Graeme Sloan/Sipa via REUTERS</cite> </figcaption>

Ad“For the past four years, the DACA program has been under attack, so it’s been a lot of stress and trauma for me. Despite Democrats controlling Congress and the White House, the U.S. Senate filibuster stands in the way of comprehensive immigration reform. President Biden’s policies are not the immigration reform Americans desperately need,” he said in a press release in late February. Thats why we haven’t had success.”Gonzales said he thinks the best approach to immigration reform is not comprehensive, but rather piece by piece and targeted. “I do think there’s an appetite for immigration reform if we do it in the proper manner.

SAN ANTONIO – As the second impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump begins, there is a sense of bipartisanship at the San Antonio International Airport. AdRight now the San Antonio International Airport is the only category one airport in Texas without passenger screening canine teams. If we get the dogs here at the airport, obviously it would be effective,” Tonya Hope with the San Antonio International Airport said. I mean, the country is in good hands, and, yes, we have a very bright future ahead of us,” Congressman Gonzales said. The addition of TSA screening dogs would allow for a safer experience in our airports and provides an additional level of security that our airport currently lacks.”AdREAD MORE:San Antonio International Airport working to keep passengers safe while feeling strain of pandemicSan Antonio Airport System lands coveted air service conference in 2022Tips for traveling through the San Antonio airport during the pandemic

San Antonio-area Rep. Tony Gonzales left many folks upset after posting photos of a maskless livestock show in Uvalde. The Texas Republican uploaded the images to his Facebook page on Saturday, writing "Great time at the Uvalde County Junior Livestock Show." The photos showed crowds of people standing and talking to each other with no masks on, including Gonzales himself. Richard Williams, President of the Uvalde County Junior Livestock Show, told MySA.com masks were not required due to them keeping the doors open at the Uvalde County Fairplex Building, which is 171,00 square feet. Mayor of Uvalde Don McLaughlin told MySA.com he was told by livestock show officials that social distancing was enforced.

SAN ANTONIO – President Joe Biden is officially in office, marking a big shift in political ideas and plans in the executive office. Also on the Appropriations Committee, but on the other side of the aisle, Democrat Cuellar represents Texas’ 28th district. I believe that an idea, it’s not a republican idea or a democratic idea, it’s an idea that it’s good for everybody,” Cuellar said. Cuellar has represented his constituents since 2005, and has certain goals for the start of the Biden administration. Both congressmen said the economy needs to be opened back up to help Texans get back on their feet.

President Donald Trump made history on Wednesday by becoming the first U.S. president to be impeached twice. Texas congressman Tony Gonzales called the historic nature of the vote “partisan,” and said the attempt to impeach Trump is an act to divide the country further. In a Twitter post, Gonzales said, “I rejected Nany Pelosi’s latest attempt to impeach the president. With one week left in President Trump’s term, the latest efforts to impeach the President does nothing to heal our country. We are bitterly divided right now – and this effort only worsens that divide.”Related: US House votes to impeach President Donald Trump

click to enlarge Twitter / Roland GutierrezRoland Gutierrez, who won a seat in the Texas Senate, meets potential voters in San Antonio. “If you’re going to beat an incumbent, you have to give people compelling reasons to vote against them. “Republicans have largely assumed they don’t have a chance with winning with Hispanic voters, while Democrats just assume they’re reliably going to vote Democrat. Nonetheless, he’s not counting 2020 as a defeat.“Any pundit who claims ‘Democrats lost Texas’ can’t see the forest for the trees. Gutierrez’s Senate win will force the GOP to sway some Democrats if it wants to bring legislation up for full debate.

SAN ANTONIO - – It took until the wee hours of the morning Wednesday for Republican Tony Gonzales to be declared the winner in the U.S. Rep. District 23 race. Gonzales beat Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones to succeed Rep. Will Hurd, a Republican, who decided not to seek re-election. “District 23 is as tough as it gets, and we performed really well last night. U.S. Rep., District 23 View All CandidatesGonzales received 51% of the vote to 46% for Ortiz Jones. Though Gonzales will soon head to Washington D.C., he promised not to lose touch with the people of District 23.

According to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which recruits and supports LGBTQ candidates, that leaves only Alaska, Louisiana and Mississippi as states that have never elected an LGBTQ legislator. With the addition of Jones and Torres, there will be nine openly LGBTQ members of the House as of January. Two other Democrats became the first openly transgender people to win seats in their states’ Houses: Taylor Small in Vermont and Stephanie Byers in Kansas. And in New York, Jabari Brisport, a gay math teacher, became the first openly LGBTQ person of color elected to the legislature. And in southwestern Michigan’s 6th District, Jon Hoadley, seeking to become the state’s first openly gay congressman, lost to 17-term GOP Rep. Fred Upton.

By midnight, Biden had racked up 205 electoral votes to Trump’s 171, according to the Associated Press. Congressional District 23UPDATE: Republican Tony Gonzales wins election to U.S. House in Texas' 23rd Congressional District, AP reports. Gonzales' lead, which ballooned to 14,000 votes before midnight, is a much healthier advantage than past races in the district’s history, but it remained too close to call with only 78% of precincts reporting. “With thousands of ballots yet to be counted, the Gonzales campaign’s attempt to declare victory is premature,” Jones' campaign manager Lacey Morrison said. Flores stunned the Texas political landscape by winning the District 19 state senate seat.

Find other election results Type to search all races...Get more election results on our homepage and Vote 2020 page. Be the first to know by downloading our newsreader app or signing up for breaking news email alerts. Can’t see the map below? Click here. Early voting results will be released at 7 p.m. CST on Nov. 3, 2020Find more context on key races below:

Editor’s note: Get election results on our homepage and Vote 2020 page. While the top of the ballot has received the most attention, the balance of the Texas House of Representatives is also at stake. For the first time in years, Democrats have a chance to flip the 150-member Texas House, which has been controlled by Republicans for more than a decade. There are 18 to 22 state House races that Democrats are targeting. More key races for Congress, Texas Senate, County CommissionersAside from the Texas House and president, there are several high-profile federal-, state- and county-level races that have local implications.

Published: November 2, 2020, 10:55 am Updated: November 3, 2020, 12:16 pmFind other election results Type to search all races...Get more election results on our homepage and Vote 2020 page. Be the first to know by downloading our newsreader app or signing up for breaking news email alerts. Early voting results will be released at 7 p.m. CST on Nov. 3, 2020Find more context on key races below:

All Photos / FacebookNorth East ISD District 3 candidates Ione McGinty and Omar Leos. Texas District 23 Congressional candidates Republican Tony Gonzales and Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones. An editorial in the October 29 issue of the San Antonio Express-News points out anti-LGBTQ claims made in two local political races: The first for a seat on the NEISD school board, the other a race for a U.S. House seat. An October 20 interview with the Express-News reports that McGinty, when confronted with criticism of her campaign’s flyer said, “I think that’s ridiculous. The claim takes Jones’ words out of context.

David Ibañez has been managing editor of KSAT.com since the website's launch in October 2000.

Republican Tony Gonzales wins election to U.S. House in Texas' 23rd Congressional District2:40 a.m. — Republican Tony Gonzales wins election to U.S. House in Texas' 23rd Congressional District, AP reports. Hurd had endorsed Republican Tony Gonzales, whose victory Tuesday night dealt Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones a second defeat in as many years. With 68.6% of precincts reporting, Tony Gonzales is up by five percentage points with 51% of the vote. 8:28 p.m. — In what is expected to be a close race all night, Republican Tony Gonzales is currently leading in Congressional District 23. Texas' Congressional District 23 (KSAT/Brittney Daniels)Both candidates have served their countries.

“But as the cycle has evolved, I think it’s clear this district is set to host yet another close race. “I think in May, June, [Democrats] did think this race would be over by now, and it’s clearly not. For starters, it was the only Texas congressional district actually drawn to be competitive at the start of the decade. In the closing months of the race, Republicans zeroed in on a more incendiary line of attack, saying Jones supports taxpayer money going toward gender-reassignment surgery. “I think [Hurd] could’ve held on to it if he would’ve wanted to, but I think Tony’s a good choice,” said Crane County Sheriff Andrew Aguilar.

click to enlarge Twitter / @TonyGonzales4TXTony Gonzales is the Republican candidate in the race to represent Texas' 23rd House District. Gonzales discussed that campaign with thefor a July 31, 2019 article , which stated that day would be "his last day in uniform. "I was active duty military. "On the recording, Jones responds that Gonzales filed his election paperwork in May. "So, he just admitted that he violated federal regulations by filing for federal office while he was still on active duty," she says.

Jones is hoping to flip the district for the Democrats while Tony Gonzales hopes to keep the district red and succeed Will Hurd. Throughout the debate, Jones and Gonzales traded barbs over health care. “If you want to know how much Tony Gonzales cares about your health and your health care, go to his website and look under the issues page," Jones said. On veterans issues, Gonzales said he helped pass the Veterans Affairs Accountability Act, which helped protect whistleblowers and increased discipline on misconduct. “Tony Gonzales was silent when this president insulted our fallen heroes.

Follow along with our live coverage of the debate between Republican Tony Gonzales and Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones from the heart of Congressional District 23, at Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde. Read more about the race:The hour-long debate will air live on KSAT, KSAT.com and all of KSAT’s free streaming platforms starting at 7 p.m. Southwest Texas Junior College and Sul Ross State University are the hosts, and KSAT’s Steve Spriester will be the moderator. We want our viewers to weigh in on the issues they want to hear about from the candidates. In a race where the margin is usually razor-thin, debates can make the difference. And, for more election news and key races, visit KSAT’s Vote 2020 page or sign up for our free election newsletter.

click to enlarge Courtesy Photo / Gina Ortiz Jones (left) and Twitter / Tony Gonzales (right)Republican congressional candidate Tony Gonzales has been eager to align himself with Donald Trump during his campaign, even picking up an endorsement from the president during his primary runoff.Now, Gonzales appears to have echoed one of the president's most controversial recent statements.During an interview last week, Gonzales repeatedly refused to identify the Ku Klux Klan as a terrorist group. Aguillon continued pushing, however, repeatedly asking Gonzales to answer directly.After several more attempts to duck the question, Gonzales finally replied, “Look, I don’t support the KKK. I think they’re a terrible organization.”“Why isn’t that like a simple 'yes' or 'no'?” Aguillon asked.“Look, we’re living in COVID. “You have this much oxygen in the room, and it’s not to talk about the KKK.”The Jones campaign seized on the clip. Gonzales also declined to answer whether he himself owns property outside the state, even though property records show he has a house in Florida.

Jones has made health care a primary cornerstone of her campaign, and she called her district “one of the most medically-underserved districts in the country." “It was the number one issue before this pandemic,” Jones said. However, his website does not include a specific plan on health care. “I think it is absolutely possible to secure our border without a border wall and to treat people with humanity and respect." Like Gonzales, Jones thinks there’s an opportunity to help reform the current immigration system.

The Republican candidate, who was endorsed by Trump, would not commit to labeling the Ku Klux Klan as a terrorist organization when put on the spot. Watch Oct. 8: Debate between Tony Gonzales, Gina Ortiz Jones in CD-23 raceBut Gonzales became visibly uncomfortable when Aguillon asked him about his views on MS-13 and the KKK. “Look, I don’t support the KKK,” Gonzales said. But labeling a domestic group as a terrorist organization is complicated, federal officials have previously said, and could lead to a conflict with the First Amendment. No U.S.-based extremist group has ever been formally designated as a terrorist organization.

Texas Republican Will Hurd has held the Congressional District 23 seat since 2014, but that doesn’t mean the seat will be reliably red this November as he departs from office. Jones won 48.73% of the vote, while Hurd won 49.17%, a difference of 0.44% or 926 votes. After the narrow win, Hurd quickly decided against seeking reelection, leaving Senator Tim Scott as the only Black Republican in Congress. Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones and Republican Tony Gonzales are candidates for Texas' Congressional District 23. While Jones has the fundraising advantage on Gonzales, Gonzales carries the endorsements of Trump and Hurd.

Editor’s note: Find live coverage of the debate here. KSAT is hosting a debate from the heart of CD-23, at Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde. We want our viewers to weigh in on the issues they want to hear about from the candidates. Submit questions that you’d like to hear the candidates answer in the prompt below. And, for more election news and key races, visit KSAT’s Vote 2020 page or sign up for our free election newsletter.

The competitive border district spans nearly all of Texas' southwestern border and up to San Antonio. The two also find themselves on opposite sides of the health care debate, too. Jones is in favor of universal health care and wants to provide a public option in an effort to make health care more affordable. The runoff was so close that the Gonzales was not deemed the winner until weeks after the runoff election. While the expected increase in turnout for 2020 may benefit Jones, polls continue show a tight race between both candidates.

The recount of the Republican primary runoff for the national battleground seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd , R-Helotes, has reached an end, and Tony Gonzales remains the winner. Raul Reyes, who finished 45 votes behind Gonzales in the July 14 runoff, announced Friday evening that he was abandoning the recount. The memo argued that after a contentious runoff, Gonzales would be "defined" by his affiliation with Trump, who lost the district in 2016, and views on health care. Meanwhile, the House GOP arm congratulated Gonzales on becoming the nominee and argued that Gonzales has deeper roots in the district than Jones. In the weeks since the runoff, Gonzales repeatedly claimed victory and criticized Reyes' recount effort as a hopeless pursuit, saying it was taking away from the party's ability to unify against Jones.

The recount of the Republican primary runoff for the national battleground seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, has reached an end, and Tony Gonzales remains the winner. Raul Reyes, who had finished 45 votes behind Gonzales in the July 14 runoff, announced Friday evening that he was abandoning the recount. Gonzales is now set to be the undisputed nominee for the seat, one of Democrats’ best pickup opportunities across the country. Coming out of election night, Reyes was down by just seven votes, a deficit that grew to 45 as the final ballots came in and the results were canvassed. In the weeks since the runoff, Gonzales repeatedly claimed victory and criticized Reyes’ recount effort as a hopeless pursuit, saying it was taking away from the party’s ability to unify against Jones.

Raul Reyes, left, and Tony Gonzales are running for the Texas Congressional District 23 seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. Will Hurd. Raul Reyes announced Friday night that he will seek a recount in the razor-thin Republican primary runoff to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, in his national battleground district. Reyes' announcement came after the Texas GOP certified the results of his July 14 runoff against Tony Gonzales. The campaigns said the final margin was Gonzales by 45 votes, though the party had not confirmed that as of late Friday night. But Reyes held firm against conceding and began fundraising for a potential recount while waiting for the state party canvass.

SAN ANTONIO Tony Gonzales has defeated Raul Reyes by 46 votes in the runoff election for the Republican nomination in the Congressional District 23 race, according to Gonzales campaign. Gonzales led by seven votes on election night. The canvass of all 29 counties confirms what we have known for a few days - we won the Republican primary! #Fireher #TX23 #TeamTony #Veteran Posted by Tony Gonzales on Monday, July 27, 2020The canvass of all 29 counties confirms what we have known for a few days, the Gonzales campaign wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. Related: Tony Gonzales campaign says he won by 23 votes, calls the race a victoryRelated: Texas runoff election results: U.S. Representative, District 23, Republican; Tony Gonzales and Raul Reyes

SAN ANTONIO The Tony Gonzales campaign has called its own race a victory, saying the campaign now leads by 23 votes, over the previously reported seven votes. A week after polls closed, the lead appears to be growing in the Republican runoff for Congressional District 23. Raul Reyes trailed Gonzales by seven votes on July 14 and for days after. In a statement, the Gonzales campaign says, Tonys margin of victory has increased now that most counties, including all of the largest counties in the district, have updated their results to reflect all votes legally cast.

From left, Tony Gonzales and Raul Reyes are running for the Texas Congressional District 23 seat that is being vacated by U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas. Texas TribunePresident Donald Trump's choice to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, was in a too-close-to-call runoff Tuesday night against a candidate endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. The Trump-backed Tony Gonzales was trailing Cruz's pick, Raul Reyes, by just 11 votes out of 24,533 with all polling locations reporting, according to unofficial results. Gonzales, a former Navy cryptologist backed by Hurd and House leaders, nabbed Trump's endorsement earlier this month, just three days after Cruz endorsed Reyes. Trump had endorsed another candidate in the Texas runoffs, Ronny Jackson, the former White House doctor running to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon.

SAN ANTONIO Editors note: Election results will begin to populate on this page when early voting results are released at 7 p.m. (CST) on July 14. Background:Two Republicans backed by different politicians are battling for the nomination in Texas CD-23 to face off against Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones. Raul Reyes, who came away with 23% of the vote, was recently endorsed by Texas Senator Ted Cruz. You can find additional election results by scrolling to the bottom of this page. For more election coverage, go to our Vote 2020 page or sign up for our free election newsletter.

Former White House doctor Ronny Jackson, left, and Tony Gonzales both received a push from President Donald Trump at a tele-town hall Monday evening. Less than an hour before Trump did the call with Gonzales, Cruz appeared on a tele-town hall with Reyes. "She is well-equipped to defeat either of them in a district President Trump lost and will lose again," said the spokesperson, Sharon Yang. He's loyal, he's brave, he's a leader, and he'll never let the people of Texas down." In the robocall for Gonzales, Trump tells voters that "Tony will work for you in Congress, and by working for you, he's working for me."

But in an interview after Trump's endorsement, Gonzales maintained he is still the strongest candidate to do that, and the president's backing only reinforces it. A day later, Cruz made the Reyes endorsement official, saying the district "deserves strong conservative representation." Cruz's Reyes endorsement was not entirely a mystery, though. An already nasty runoffThings were already bitter — and personal — between the runoff candidates before Cruz and Trump got involved. “I’ll face off against a Trump puppet who will support the Trump administration’s extreme agenda regardless of how much it harms Texas families.”

Tony Gonzales announces in San Antonio that he is running for the Texas Congressional District 23 seat being vacated by Will Hurd. Robin Jerstad for The Texas TribunePresident Donald Trump on Friday endorsed Tony Gonzales in the Republican primary runoff to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, three days after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz shook up the race by backing Gonzales' opponent, Raul Reyes. Cruz endorsed Reyes on Tuesday and launched a TV ad buy for him through his leadership PAC. While the Trump endorsement gives Gonzales a big boost in the primary runoff, it is likely less helpful for the general election. Trump lost the perennial battleground district by 4 percentage points in 2016, while Hurd carried it by 1.

Now, early voting runs from June 29 to July 10 and runoff Election Day is July 14. In Texas, a runoff election is like overtime for a primary election when no candidate receives at least 50%, plus one vote. When that happens, the top two vote-getting candidates from their respective party face off in a runoff election. For registered voters in Bexar County, this runoff election features six races for the Republican primary or 12 races in the Democratic primary. The Green and Libertarian parties nominate candidates by convention and their candidates will not appear on primary election or runoff ballots.

Early Wednesday morning, Cuellar held on to pull 51.8 percent of the vote to Cisneros 48.2 percent with all counties reporting. Cuellar has argued that Cisneros progressive values dont speak for many constituents in the district, who tend to be more socially conservative. Its a little frustrating the pace that the numbers are coming in but Im from San Antonio, Gonzales said. Castro, who is running for his fifth term in Congress, maintained more than 90 percent of the vote throughout the night. However, any Republican nominee will face an uphill battle in the historically Democratic district.

"Of course, Gonzales has something his primary rivals do not: Hurd's endorsement. "Gonzales encountered sharp questions about the Hurd endorsement at a meet-and-greet last month in the county seat, Del Rio. Pressed on the political impact of Hurd's endorsement, Gonzales acknowledged there are parts of the district where people "sing [Hurd's] praises" and others, particularly west of San Antonio, where "the less you can say Will Hurd's name. "Look, Im working to a point where I get President Trumps endorsement," Gonzales said, according to audio obtained by the Texas Tribune. You either love President Trump or you do not.

That man can take care of himself.Of course, Gonzales has something his primary rivals do not: Hurds endorsement. I think its gonna be hard, said Fernando Garcia, chairman of the Val Verde County GOP. His strategy may be wonderful in the general, but is it gonna get him out of the primary? Look, Im working to a point where I get President Trumps endorsement, Gonzales said, according to audio obtained by The Texas Tribune. You either love President Trump or you do not.

Retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-Helotes) is endorsing a candidate to succeed him in his battleground district. I care deeply about the hard-working men and women of the 23rd District and want to make sure their next Representative has their values and will fight for them in Congress, Hurd said in statement. This is why I am pleased to endorse 20-year Navy Veteran, loyal husband and proud father of five children, Tony Gonzales, to be my successor in Congress.Hurd has previously complimented Gonzales but stopped short of endorsing him. In backing Gonzales, who is Mexican American, Hurd nodded to one of his political priorities now that he is not running for reelection: helping create a more diverse Texas GOP. If the Republican Party does not look like Texas and resonate with all Texans, there wont be a Republican Party in Texas, said Hurd, the only black Republican in the House.