U.S. House of Representatives
Elections 2018 In 2018, Gonzalez filed to run as a Republican for the
United States House of Representatives in
Ohio's 16th congressional district. His predecessor,
Jim Renacci, was retiring to mount an unsuccessful
Senate campaign against incumbent
Sherrod Brown. Gonzalez won the November 6 election with 57% of the vote, becoming the first Latino to represent Ohio in Congress. He raised more than $525,000 in less than a month after announcing his run, including donations from former NFL teammate
Peyton Manning,
Cleveland Browns owner
Jimmy Haslam, and several other former NFL and college football players. Along with Texas Democrat
Colin Allred, he was one of two former NFL players to be elected to Congress in 2018.
2020 Gonzalez defeated the Democratic nominee, physicist Aaron Paul Godfrey, 63.2% to 36.8%.
2022 Gonzalez originally ran for reelection in the 16th district, prompting a primary challenge from Republicans who supported former President
Donald Trump due to Gonzalez's impeachment vote. Ohio's slow population growth in the
2020 United States census made the district obsolete as of 2023, leaving the campaigns' statuses unclear. On September 16, Gonzalez announced he would not run for Congress in 2022. The
Senate voted mostly on party lines to acquit Trump of the charges on February 5, 2020. Just 12 days before the end of Trump's term, the House passed
a second impeachment resolution with one article claiming "incitement of insurrection", before and during the
U.S. Capitol attack. Gonzalez was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for this offense. The Senate again acquitted Trump. Ohio Republican Party chair
Bob Paduchik said the second impeachment resolution addressed "an unconstitutional, politically motivated process that served no purpose." As a result of his vote to impeach Trump, the Ohio Republican Central Committee voted to censure Gonzalez, stating that Gonzalez had "betrayed his constituents" and "relied on emotions rather than the will of his constituents and any credible facts". Gonzalez and his family received continual threats following the impeachment vote, and he took additional security measures to protect his wife and family. On May 19, 2021, Gonzalez was one of 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the
January 6 commission meant to investigate the
storming of the U.S. Capitol. In retaliation, Trump endorsed former White House aide
Max Miller in the 2022 primary for the seat. On October 21, 2021, Gonzalez was one of nine House Republicans who voted to hold
Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress. On November 5, 2021, he was among the 13 House Republicans to break with their party and vote with a majority of Democrats in favor of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Immigration Gonzalez voted for the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1158) which effectively prohibits ICE from cooperating with Health and Human Services to detain or remove illegal alien sponsors of unaccompanied alien children (UACs).
Same-sex marriage On July 19, 2022, Gonzalez was one of 47 Republican Representatives to vote for the
Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.
Contraception Gonzalez voted for H.R. 8373 ("The Right to Contraception Act"), a bill designed to protect access to contraceptives and health care providers' ability to provide contraceptives and information about contraception. It would also fund
Planned Parenthood.
Big Tech In 2022, Gonzalez was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.
Committee assignments •
Committee on Financial Services •
Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance •
Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy •
Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion •
Committee on Science, Space and Technology •
Subcommittee on Environment •
Subcommittee on Research and Technology •
United States House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Caucus memberships •
Republican Main Street Partnership •
Problem Solvers Caucus Electoral history ==Personal life==