Shannon Burns, president of Ohios Strongsville GOP said that Gonzalez was an up-and coming star who made a terrible political calculation and paid a price. Even Trumps critics could see that Gonzalez's departure was a sign Trumps grip on the party.
Anthony Gonzalez is one the most honest public servants I have ever met. The idea that the Republican Party will drive out people like him tells you that the party's moment is very dangerous for us. Rep. Liz Cheney (R.Wyo. In an interview, Cheney stated that the party is not one that can lead to the future.
Gonzalez opted to forgo a primary against a Trump-endorsed candidate. This also meant that Trump and the Republican Party as a whole were deprived of one of the most important test cases in the country, which would have shown the extent of Trump's control over the post-Trump GOP.
Gonzalez was alive and well, even though he crossed Trump's line. Gonzalez had been raising Max Miller, an ex-aide to Trump White House who was endorsed by him. Miller is not without his baggage. The primary is not set to take place until next years, so at least some Ohio Republicans didn't consider the outcome a foregone conclusion.
Ryan Stubenrauch from Ohio, a Republican strategist, stated that every political consultant and candidate in the country wants to know how Trump's endorsement will impact a Republican primary. It would have been a great question to know who would have won the primary between Anthony Gonzalez, a well-funded incumbent, and Max Miller, a Trump-backed candidate.
Jim Renacci, an ex-Republican Rep., stated that Trump's endorsement was no doubt powerful. However, Gonzalez said that he had the power to incumbency.
Renacci stated that he had heard from the people of the district after Gonzalez's announcement that Gonzalez was a quitter.
This sentiment may be the true lesson from Gonzalez's departure. It isn't worth fighting for some Republicans in a GOP that Trump has ruled over. About half of the 241 Republicans who were in the House at Trump's election have left or will leave the chamber by 2023. This percentage could increase if more GOP incumbents decide to retire.
Some left to become part of Trump's government or seek higher office. However, 90 percent have retired or lost their bids for reelection. There is every reason for us to believe that Republicans who disagree with Trump's election behavior, most notably his promotion of the falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen, will be slowly pushed out. One Republican noted that Trump's anger was diluting the party's core group of principled Republicans.
Some Republicans like Gonzalez saw the vote to impeach Trump as a strong rebuke of Trump and a sign of their hope that the party can one day expel the former president from its ranks and start putting together the remaining remnants of its former self. Gonzalez's decision not to run for reelection has caused the Beltway to be vigilant to see if there are any more casualties.
Trump's top target for the 2016 primaries is Wyoming's Cheney. After redistricting, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, might not have a seat for which to run. Republican candidates who disagree with Trump may not be able to access large swathes of the GOP's pro-Trump base.
Gonzalez, for his part, maintained that he could win what he said would be a hard primary. However, in a party dominated by Trump, he lamented our current political state, particularly the toxic dynamics within our party.
Gonzalez, 36, is not a party dinosaur who is on the eve of his departure. Gonzalez, a former NFL football star and Ohio State star was a second-term congressman. His youth and Cuban American heritage were once seen as signs of progress in a party that needed to diversify its ranks. He was a relatively quiet member who became increasingly concerned by Trump's behavior before the Capitol attack, according to GOP sources. However, he kept his criticisms private.
Ryan Costello, a former Rep., stated that he came from outside of the political world but had built a reputation as a professional football player. He is now considering running for the open Pennsylvania Senate seat. When you think about what it is like to be in Congress today, you can see that he was bipartisan.
Costello stated, It's a shame that you hate to lose people like this because of the way politics is done these days.
