Tony Gonzales, a Republican Congressman from Texas, won a close primary election on Tuesday against Brandon Herrera, a gun-rights activist. Gonzales faced a tough challenge that put his seat in the House of Representatives at risk.
Another important Texas Republican, state House Speaker Dade Phelan, also barely defeated a challenger supported by former President Donald Trump.
The close margins in both races show that many conservative voters in Texas are angry. They are upset about votes by some Republicans that went against the party’s positions and about the criminal charges against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
During the campaign, Herrera criticized Gonzales for supporting a gun-safety bill after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, which is in Gonzales’ district. Herrera also attacked Gonzales’ past criticism of strict immigration proposals.
Supporters of Gonzales warned that if he lost, Democrats might be able to win the district in the November general election. Gonzales will face Democrat Santos Limon in that election.
Some people see Gonzales as a moderate Republican. In an April CNN interview, he called some of the most conservative Republicans in Congress “scumbags.” The Republican Party of Texas also censured Gonzales in 2023 for supporting federal protections for same-sex marriage and the gun-safety bill passed after the Uvalde shooting.
However, top Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbott supported Gonzales as the party tries to keep its small majority in the House of Representatives. House Speaker Mike Johnson even attended a fundraiser for Gonzales, who raised much more money than Herrera.
Brandon Herrera makes guns and posts videos about weapons and gun rights on YouTube, where he has over 3 million followers.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.