It’s been a busy year for congressional retirements, with members giving up their seats at a pace unseen in recent memory. Some departures, however, stand out more than others.
On Thursday night, Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez of Texas announced he would be dropping his re-election bid. The news caps a tumultuous week for the embattled lawmaker.
Gonzales of Texas was pressured to end his career ahead of his recent primary race, but the incumbent congressman shrugged off his critics from both parties and took his chances with local voters. With roughly 42% of the vote, Gonzales didn’t exactly win a ringing endorsement, and his totals trailed far-right internet personality Brandon Herrera’s 43%, but since neither candidate topped 50% support, they both advanced to a May runoff.
A day later, however, the GOP lawmaker’s troubles went from bad to worse. Less than 24 hours after the primary ballots were counted, the House Ethics Committee announced that it was moving forward with its investigation into Gonzales, specifically scrutinizing whether he “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office.” Around the same time, one of his own GOP congressional colleagues filed a censure resolution against the Texan.
Soon after, Gonzales acknowledged what many already assumed: The congressman, a married father of six, had an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. The confession did not end his political crisis. On the contrary, the entirety of the House Republican leadership issued a joint statement the morning after Gonzales’ acknowledgement, calling on the Texan “to withdraw from his race for re-election.” Short on friends and options, he reversed course and took the advice. Gonzales said he will serve the remainder of his congressional term.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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