Trump impeachment Republican Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (OH) announced Thursday night he would not seek reelection in the midterms, hoping to “build a fuller family life” after former President Donald Trump gave his Republican opponent an early election endorsement.
Gonzalez — one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after he left office — in his statement announcing his retirement, cited his hope to “build a fuller family life” by not seeking reelection and what he believes to be “toxic dynamics” in the Republican Party:
Since entering politics, 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. As Elizabeth and I consider the realities of continuing in public service while juggling the increasing responsibilities of being parents to our two beautiful children, it is clear that the best path for our family is to not seek re-election next fall.
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Please know that every word has meant the the world to me and giving me hope that the chaotic political environment that currently infects our country will only be temporary. While my 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’s endorsement of Max Miller, a Republican from Ohio running against “RINO” Gonzalez, came in February, very early in the 2022 election cycle. Trump giving Miller his endorsement fulfilled his promise to campaign against any impeachment Republicans.
Trump, in his statement, said Miller, who is also a veteran Marine, “did a great job at the White House and will be a fantastic Congressman” who is a “true PATRIOT.”
Trump added that “Current Rep. Anthony Gonzalez should not be representing the people of the 16th district because he does not represent their interest or their heart.”
Since Trump’s earlier endorsement, Miller raised more than $550,000 in the second quarter of the 2022 election cycle to take on Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, in March, trashed the Republican party, Trump, and former White House chief of staff and Congressman Mark Meadows at a fundraiser with former House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). Footage obtained by Breitbart News revealed that Gonzalez said he hopes the “far-right and far-left diminish in power and for the center to take hold.”
“Mark Meadows is the person in the Trump world who is most angry with me and is most aggressively supporting my primary opponent,” Gonzalez also said. Boehner harbors animosity towards Meadows. While in the House, Meadows was a House Freedom Caucus co-founder and helped lead the movement to remove Boehner as Speaker in 2015.
Gonzalez also spoke about himself trailing in a Club for Growth poll behind Miller by nine points.
In 2018, Breitbart News’s John Binder reported that Federal Election Commission files from the pro-amnesty for illegal aliens U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $300,000 to help elect Gonzalez instead of the populist conservative, State Rep. Christina Hagan in the tight election.
Hagan — who was endorsed by a long list of conservative groups: National Rifle Association (NRA), “Women For Trump,” and the anti-establishment House Freedom Caucus — was committed to supporting Trump’s “America First” policies on immigration, trade, and foreign policy.
Follow Jacob Bliss on Twitter @jacobmbliss.