Representative Anthony Gonzalez (R., Ohio) announced on Thursday evening that he will not run for reelection in 2022, citing the strain on his family of political work as well as “toxic dynamics” in the Republican Party.
Gonzalez was one of ten House Republicans to vote to impeach former President Trump following the Capitol riot on January 6, when a mob of Trump supporters breached the building and forced congressmen to evacuate during the certification of the Electoral College results. Gonzalez, a Stanford graduate, will leave Congress after just two terms in office.
See my full statement below regarding my decision not to seek re-election. pic.twitter.com/vsggxjD1FI
— Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (@RepAGonzalez) September 17, 2021
“I have always said that I will do this job for as long as the voters will have me and it still works for my family,” Gonzalez said in a statement. Given “the realities of continuing in public service while juggling . . . responsibilities of being parents . . . the best path for our family is to not seek re-election this fall.”
Gonzalez added, “While a desire to build a fuller family life is at the heart of my decision, it is also true that the current state of our politics, especially many of the toxic dynamics inside our own party, is a significant factor in my decision.”
Trump endorsed a former aide, Max Miller, to run against Gonzalez in the upcoming House primaries. At a rally in Ohio in June, Trump labeled Gonzalez as “a grandstanding RINO — who is not respected in D.C. — who voted for the unhinged unconstitutional impeachment witch hunt.” Trump again falsely claimed at the rally that he won the 2020 election.
Gonzalez called Trump “a cancer for the country” in an interview with the New York Times released on Thursday. The congressman also recalled a day earlier this year when he and his family were met by two police officers at the Cleveland airport, in order to provide security in the wake of his impeachment vote.
“That’s one of those moments where you say, ‘Is this really what I want for my family when they travel, to have my wife and kids escorted through the airport?’” Gonzalez told the Times.
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