Texas congressional freshman named vice chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Conference

Rep. Tony Gonzales, who was elected to the House in 2020, was named vice chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Conference on Tuesday.

The Republican congressman will join the GOP sponsored congressional caucus alongside one of the group’s founding members, Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, The Hill reported.

“I look forward to leading and uniting my colleagues in promoting the principles that our Hispanic communities across the country value: small government, economic opportunity, and individual liberty,” Gonzales said in a statement.

The appointment comes as Republicans seek to build on their gains among Hispanic voters – particularly Texas, Florida, and Virginia – in the run-up to the 2022 midterm elections.

The freshman congressman took Democrats by surprise in 2020 when he bested Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones, who was favored to win, in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Will Hurd. His district spans from San Antonio to El Paso and represents a key Hispanic constituency.

During his campaign, former President Trump endorsed him saying, "Tony Gonzales will be a great congressman for Texas! A Navy veteran, he is strong on the economy, life and the Second Amendment."

The Conference's leadership has traditionally been among the most vocal Republicans on an array of issues – but has increasingly led the charge on immigration, a key issue for the GOP.

Díaz-Balart has been leading bipartisan negotiations on immigration for the past two decades and recently helped pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act through a divided house last March.

"Tony is a 20-year Navy veteran with a proven record of getting things done and providing solutions for Texans and the American people. During his short tenure in Congress, and as my colleague on the House Appropriations Committee, Congressman Gonzales has shown to be a tough, devoted, and effective leader with an unwavering commitment to serve our nation," said Díaz-Balart. 

The Congressional Hispanic Conference was founded in 2003, after Díaz-Balart organized a group of Republican members who resigned form the Congressional Hispanic Caucus over disagreements on how Congress was handling Castro’s regime in Cuba.