Possible censorship of a Hispanic lawmaker in Texas by colleagues

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales is facing a possible rare vote of no confidence from his party in the state over his support for new gun safety laws in the wake of the massacre. of children at the school in Uvalde, who performed in his district.

A censorship by the Republican Party of Texas would be a sign of the hostility that the deputy has aroused among his co-religionists by showing himself ready to vote against the right on several crucial questions.

Gonzales demonstrated his independence when he opposed a Republican immigration reform bill on the Mexican border, which encompasses much of his South Texas district. He also voted in favor of same-sex marriage and openly rejected a set of rules for the House of Representatives after Republican leader Kevin McCarthy became president.

Gonzales was defiant ahead of the vote, expected in the coming hours Saturday at a gathering of Republican leaders and activists in Austin. His presence was not expected.

“We’ll see what happens,” he told reporters in San Antonio on Thursday.

From a practical standpoint, the blackout would allow the party to spend money to remember censorship if Gonzales runs for office in 2024. The blackout requires three-fifths of the votes in the Committee Republican state executive. More than a dozen local Republican clubs in the Gonzales District have passed bans.

Gonzales won the Republican primary and re-election in his heavily Hispanic district by a wide margin. He won for the first time in 2020 to fill the seat vacated by Republican Will Hurd, who also wasn’t afraid to vote against his party and, according to aides, is considering a presidential run.