Texas lawmaker appointed vice chair of House Hispanic Republican group

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) on Tuesday was named vice chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, an organization of Hispanic Republicans in the House.

Gonzales, who was elected to the House in 2020, will join the Hispanic Conference’s leadership alongside veteran Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), one of the founders of the group.

“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 in Texas and Florida – in the 2020 election. 

Gonzales’s election was one of several in Texas that took Democrats by surprise, as his Democratic opponent was viewed as a favorite to win the district that spans from San Antonio to El Paso.

The Hispanic Conference has recently not been as politically vocal as its nominally bipartisan but effectively Democratic counterpart, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC).

Still, the Conference’s leaders have traditionally been among the most vocal Republicans on an array of issues, including immigration.

Díaz-Balart has been at the center of bipartisan negotiations on the issue over the past two decades, most recently helping pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act through a deeply divided House in 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 had quit the CHC over disagreements on policy issues including Cuba.