House Republican who voted to impeach Trump won’t run again

By JILL COLVIN and JULIE CARR SMYTH | Associated Press

One of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach erstwhile President Donald Trump for his relation successful inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection astatine the Capitol announced helium volition not question reelection successful Ohio adjacent year.

U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, a erstwhile NFL subordinate with a once-bright governmental future, cited his 2 young children for his determination and noted “the chaotic governmental situation that presently infects our country.” He is the archetypal Latino to correspond Ohio successful Congress.

“While my tendency to physique a fuller household beingness is astatine the bosom of my decision, it is besides existent that the existent authorities of our politics, particularly galore of the toxic dynamics wrong our ain party, is simply a important origin successful my decisions,” Gonzalez said successful his connection Thursday night.

Gonzalez, 36, would person faced Max Miller successful the 2022 primary. Trump has endorsed Miller, his erstwhile White House and run aide, arsenic portion of his bid to punish those who voted for his impeachment oregon blocked his efforts to overturn the results of the election. Trump rallied for Miller this summer.

In a statement, Miller’s run called Gonzalez’s announcement “good quality for the voters of our district,” said Gonzalez had “dishonored the bureau by betraying his constituents” with his impeachment vote.

Gonzalez represents northeast Ohio’s 16th Congressional District, successful the northeastern portion of the state.

The Ohio Republican Party censured Gonzalez successful May for voting successful February to impeach Trump. Gonzalez has stood by his impeachment ballot successful the look of fierce pushback from his party’s blimpish wing.

It remains unclear whether immoderate of the different House Republicans who joined Gonzalez successful voting for impeachment volition travel successful his footsteps.

In an interrogation with The New York Times announcing his decision, Gonzalez called Trump “a crab for the country” who represents a menace to ideology and said that Jan. 6 had been “a line-in-the-sand moment” for him.

While helium said determination seemed to person been a infinitesimal past erstwhile the enactment mightiness interruption with the erstwhile president, helium has been dismayed by its determination to alternatively clasp Trump.

“This is the absorption that we’re going to spell successful for the adjacent 2 years and perchance four, and it’s going to marque Trump the halfway of fund-raising efforts and governmental outreach,” Gonzalez told the newspaper. “That’s not thing I’m going to beryllium portion of.”

He said helium plans to walk his clip present moving to forestall Trump from being elected to the White House again.

“Most of my governmental vigor volition beryllium spent moving connected that nonstop goal,” helium said.

Trump called Gonzalez’s determination not to question reelection “no nonaccomplishment for Ohio oregon our Country.” In a connection Friday that besides praised Miller, the erstwhile president said Gonzalez discontinue aft losing popularity pursuing his ballot for impeachment.