South Texas has elected an idiosyncratic Democrat to the US House who supports El Salvador’s authoritarian leader and has voted against trans rights.
Vicente Gonzalez was first elected to the US House in 2016.
Gonzalez lives in the Rio Grande Valley, and he has represented the Texas 34th Congressional District since 2023.
In 2024, Gonzalez was reelected to the US House by 2.6%.
According to Roll Call, Gonzalez was one of 13 House Democrats elected in 2024 in districts that voted for Trump.
The Cook Political Report considers the House Race in TX-34 to be a tossup in 2026.
In this article, we will discuss the concerning aspects of Gonzalez’s time in Congress, and the positive things he has done, before discussing his progressive primary opponent, Etienne Rosas.
Texas will hold its primary elections on Tuesday, March 3.
So next week, Texas Democrats will decide whether to choose Gonzalez to run as their party’s nominee in November’s general election.
I disagree with some of Gonzalez’s positions, but I intend to consider his record fairly.
I will also discuss how Gonzalez has voted on key issues in Congress, from 2021 to the present.
Frontline Democrats
Political pundits and news organizations on the center left often heap fawning praise on moderate Democrats in challenging frontline districts.
Often, this praise fails to include discussions about the votes in Congress these moderate Democrats have taken, which Democratic voters might disagree with.
This article is primarily about Vicente Gonzalez, but I will also discuss problematic votes made by Henry Cuellar, Don Davis, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, and Jared Golden.
According to Roll Call, all five of these Democrats were elected in districts in 2024 that voted for Trump.
All of these Democratic incumbents are running for reelection to the US House, with the exception of Jared Golden, according to the Cook Political Report.
This article focuses on Gonzalez because:
1) His primary is only a week away.
2) He is a genuinely interesting politician.
3) It’s easier to focus on how one person voted on many important issues, than to focus on how several people voted on many important issues.
I believe it’s important to celebrate Democrats who can win elections in challenging districts.
But I also believe it’s important to carefully examine the records of members of Congress.
In this article, I hope to do both.
Now, let’s return to Vicente Gonzalez.
Supports Bukele
In an interview with Politico, Vicente Gonzalez praised Nayib Bukele, the authoritarian leader of El Salvador.
“I think it’s undeniable what he’s done has been spectacular, in terms of bringing security to over 98% of the population that lived in turmoil for over a generation,” Gonzalez told Politico.
“He clean[ed] up the most dangerous country in the world and turn[ed] it into the safest in the hemisphere.”
Human Rights Watch has criticized the methods used by Bukele in his crackdown on gang violence.
“In March 2022, pro-Bukele lawmakers adopted a state of emergency, suspending a range of constitutional rights in response to a peak in gang violence,” HRW wrote on its profile on the state of human rights in El Salvador.
“Security forces arrested tens of thousands of people, including hundreds of children, and committed widespread human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and torture and other ill-treatment of detainees.”
The Guardian reported Vicente Gonzalez attended Bukele’s second inauguration in June 2024.
Gonzalez has co-chaired the El Salvador Caucus in the US House since July 2024, when it was created by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz.
In his remarks announcing the creation of the El Salvador Caucus, Gaetz said its purpose will be, “to vindicate the choices that President Bukele has made.”
"El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, has converted El Salvador from the murder capital of the world, into a reliable and stable partner for peace and security for the United States of America,” Gaetz said during his remarks on the House floor.
"The El Salvador Caucus will exist to nurture and advance the US-El Salvador relationship, to encourage strong borders, strong culture, and the strong reforms President Bukele has put into effect.”
I disapprove of Bukele’s human rights abuses and find it rather strange that Gonzalez, a Democratic Congressman, supports the authoritarian leader.
Votes against Trans Rights
Vicente Gonzalez was one of only three House Democrats who voted in favor of a bill that would ban gender-affirming surgeries, hormone replacement therapy, and puberty-blocking medications, for transgender youth, nationwide.
Late last year, Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), and Don Davis (NC-1) joined 213 Republicans to vote in favor of the legislation, which was introduced by Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The Advocate wrote a good article about Greene’s bill, which includes quotes from a pediatrics professor, officials from the Human Rights Campaign and Trevor Project, and the parent of a transgender teenager.
207 Democrats and four Republicans voted against the bill.
Three Democrats and three Republicans did not vote on the measure.
The House approved the bill, 216 to 211, on Dec. 17, 2025.
The Senate has not voted on the bill.
That wasn’t the only time Gonzalez has voted against trans rights.
Early last year, Gonzalez and Cuellar voted in favor of a bill that would ban transgender women and girls from participating in female school athletic programs, nationwide.
The bill would implement this policy by decaring it to be a violation of Title IX for a school that receives federal funding, which includes both K-12 and colleges and universities, to allow a transgender woman or girl to participate in athletic programs designated for women or girls.
Gonzalez and Cuellar, the only Democrats who voted for the bill, joined 216 Republicans to advance the legislation.
206 Democrats voted against the bill.
Six Democrats and three Republicans did not vote on the legislation.
One Democrat, Don Davis, voted Present.
The House passed the bill, 218 to 206, on Jan. 14, 2025.
The Senate has not voted on the bill.
This table compares how Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar, Don Davis, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, and Jared Golden voted on proposed federal transgender sports bans in 2023 and 2025.
About two years earlier, on April 20, 2023, the House considered a bill that would have done the same thing.
Gonzalez did not vote on that bill.
So Gonzalez went from not voting on a federal transgender sports ban, in April 2023, to voting in favor of one, in Jan. 2025.
Cuellar voted against a federal transgender sports ban in 2023, but voted in favor of one in 2025.
Don Davis did not vote on the sports ban in 2023, and he voted Present in 2025.
I discussed the Kansas Transgender Sports Ban in an editorial I wrote in 2024.
John Oliver discussed the Republican obsession with transgender athletes during a great segment on his program LastWeekTonight.
During an interview with the Texas Tribune in Nov. 2024, Gonzalez said his ability to understand the social conservatism of his district, and knowing when to break from the Democratic party, helped him keep his seat in Congress.
"I told the entire caucus, don’t ever try to whip me again, because I know my district better than anybody in this room,” Gonzalez said.
"Having me 97% of the time is better than having my opponent 100% of the time. We need to give that leeway, especially to frontline members. Nobody knows our districts better than us.”
I dislike that Gonzalez has voted against trans rights in Congress.
Now that we’ve discussed the troubling parts of Gonzalez’s record, let’s examine the times he has voted the right way on important issues, including the times he’s voted in favor of LGBT rights, which we will explore next.
Votes in favor of LGBT Rights
Gonzalez voted in favor of the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations.
221 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and three Republicans, voted in favor of the bill.
206 Republicans voted against the legislation.
2 Republicans did not vote on the bill.
The House passed the bill, 224 to 206, on February 25, 2021.
The bill did not receive a vote in the Senate.
This table shows how Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar, and Jared Golden voted on key issues in 2021 and 2022.
During this time, Democrats held majorities in the US House and US Senate under President Joe Biden.
Gonzalez also voted in favor of a bill that protects same-sex marriage.
Congress passed, and President Biden signed, the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022.
Currently, the right to same sex marriage is protected nationwide under the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.
Liberals feared the US Supreme Court might overturn its decisions protecting gay marriage after the court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The Respect for Marriage Act was passed due to these concerns.
The Respect for Marriage Act requires states to recognize same-sex marriages conducted in other states, and requires the federal government to recognize the legitimacy of same-sex marriages conducted by states that allow them.
219 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and 39 Republicans, showed their support for same-sex marriage, by voting for the Respect for Marriage Act.
169 Republicans voted against the bill.
Four Republicans did not vote on the legislation, and one Republican voted Present.
The House passed the bill, 258 to 169, on Dec. 8, 2022.
After both the House and Senate approved the bill, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law.
Votes in favor of Reproductive Rights
Gonzalez also voted in favor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have overturned state abortion bans by establishing a right to abortion under federal law.
219 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted in favor of the legislation.
209 Republicans, and one Democrat, Henry Cuellar, voted against the bill.
Two Republicans did not vote on the legislation.
The House passed the bill, 219 to 210, on July 15, 2022.
The bill did not receive a vote in the Senate.
I read the text of an earlier version of the Women’s Health Protection Act on Primary Sources, a video series where I discussed the laws, legislation, and Supreme Court decisions behind important public policy stories.
The series featured four videos on abortion rights and one video on the federal eviction moratorium during the COVID pandemic.
Gonzalez voted in favor of the Right to Contraception Act, a bill that would protect access to contraception.
220 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and eight Republicans, voted in favor of the bill.
195 Republicans voted against the legislation.
Six Republicans did not vote on the bill, and two Republicans voted Present.
The House passed the bill, 228 to 195, on July 21, 2022.
The legislation did not receive a vote in the Senate.
To recap, in July 2022, Gonzalez voted in favor of reproductive rights by voting in favor of abortion rights and access to contraception.
Votes to Impeach Trump
Gonzalez voted to impeach President Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection to attack Congress to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
222 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and 10 Republicans, voted to impeach Trump.
197 Republicans voted against impeaching Trump.
Four Republicans did not vote on the resolution.
The House impeached Trump, 232 to 197, on Jan. 13, 2021.
57 Senators voted to convict Trump on Feb. 13, 2021, after his Senate Trial, and 43 Senators voted against.
The Senate did not reach the 67 votes necessary, to achieve the 2/3 majority required, to convict Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Gonzalez voted in favor of impeaching President Trump, for both Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress, on Dec. 18, 2019, during Trump’s first impeachment, for withholding military aid to Ukraine to pressure the country to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden, which would benefit Trump in the 2020 presidential campaign.
The Senate did not convict Trump, after his first impeachment trial, for either Abuse of Power or Obstruction of Congress.
This table shows how Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar, and Jared Golden voted on each Article of Impeachment during Trump’s First Impeachment in 2019.
Votes for Biden’s Economic Agenda
Gonzalez voted for the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
These laws were key elements of President Joe Biden’s Economic Agenda.
Each of these laws were passed by Congress and signed by President Biden.
Gonzalez voted for the American Rescue Plan.
The law extended unemployment benefits, provided emergency rental assistance, expanded food stamp benefits, expanded the child tax credit, and provided funding to cities and states to replace tax revenue lost due to the pandemic, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The law also provided $1,400 checks to Americans making $75,000 or less per year.
220 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted in favor of the legislation.
210 Republicans, and one Democrat, Jared Golden (Maine-2), voted against the bill.
One Republican, Thomas Tiffany (WI-7), did not vote on the legislation.
The House approved the bill, 220 to 211, on March 10, 2021.
Gonzalez voted in favor of the Invest in America Act, which is also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Invest in America Act provided funding for roads, bridges, public transit, broadband internet, and other infrastructure projects.
215 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and 13 Republicans, voted in favor of the legislation.
200 Republicans, and six Democrats, voted against the bill.
The House approved the legislation, 228 to 206, on Nov. 5, 2021.
Gonzalez voted in favor of the Inflation Reduction Act, which allows Medicare to negotiate prices for some drugs and authorizes tax credits for renewable energy.
220 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted in favor of the bill.
207 Republicans voted against the legislation.
Four Republicans did not vote on the bill.
The House approved the legislation, 220 to 207, on Aug. 12, 2022.
Supported Student Loan Debt Relief
In August 2022, the Biden administration announced a student loan debt relief plan to provide up to $20,000 of student loan debt relief for qualifying borrowers.
Republicans in Congress attempted to block the student loan debt relief plan.
Gonzalez voted against the Republican bill.
By voting against blocking student loan debt relief, Gonzalez essentially voted in favor of allowing Student Loan Debt Relief, which means he voted the right way.
216 Republicans and two Democrats, Jared Golden (Maine-2) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3), voted to block student loan debt relief.
203 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted against blocking student loan debt relief.
Eight Democrats and six Republicans did not vote on the bill.
The House passed the bill, 218 to 203, on May 24, 2023.
The Senate approved the bill, which was subsequently vetoed by President Biden.
The bill failed to receive the required 2/3 majority in the House necessary to override the veto.
In the House, both Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez voted to override Biden’s veto.
The Senate did not vote on whether to override the president’s veto.
On June 30, 2023, the US Supreme Court struck down the student loan forgiveness program.
Approved Military Aid for Ukraine and Israel
Gonzalez voted in favor of military aid for both Ukraine and Israel.
On April 20, 2024, the House voted separately on components of a bill that provided military aid to Ukraine and Israel.
This allowed voters to see how members of Congress would vote on these topics, when considered separately.
I support Ukraine in its righteous fight against Russia’s aggressive military invasion of their country.
Therefore, I support the US providing military aid to Ukraine, in its fight against Russian aggression.
210 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted in favor of military aid to Ukraine.
Three Democrats did not vote on the measure.
101 Republicans voted in favor of military aid to Ukraine, and 112 Republicans voted against.
Four Republicans did not vote on the measure, and one Republican voted Present.
The House approved the measure, 311 to 112, on April 20, 2024.
This table shows how Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar, Don Davis, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, and Jared Golden voted on key issues in the House in 2023 and 2024.
During this time, Republicans controlled the House, Democrats controlled the Senate, and Joe Biden was president.
I do not support providing military aid to Israel.
I believe by April 2024, the horrors of the human rights abuses committed by Israel during its war in Gaza should have been apparent to anyone paying attention.
Therefore, I believe members of Congress should have voted against military aid to Israel at that time.
I wrote an editorial in July 2024 about the abuses committed by Israel during its war in Gaza.
173 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted in favor of military aid to Israel, and 37 voted against.
Three Democrats did not vote on the measure.
193 Republicans voted in favor of military aid to Israel, and 21 voted against.
Four Republicans did not vote on the measure.
The House approved the measure, 366 to 58, on April 20, 2024.
The Senate subsequently approved military aid for Ukraine and Israel.
President Biden signed the bill into law.
Opposes the Big Ugly Bill
Republicans call it the Big Beautiful Bill.
I call it the Big Ugly Bill.
Gonzalez voted against the Big Ugly Bill, which cuts taxes for the rich, cuts Medicaid funding for the poor, and increases funding for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
212 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and two Republicans voted against the Big Ugly Bill.
The two Republicans who voted against the bill were Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) and Thomas Massie (KY-4).
218 Republicans voted in favor of the Big Ugly Bill.
The House approved the bill, 218 to 214, on July 3, 2025.
The bill was approved by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump.
This table shows how Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar, Don Davis, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, and Jared Golden voted on key issues in the House in 2025 and 2026.
During this time, Republicans held majorities in both the House and Senate, under President Donald Trump.
Supports NPR & PBS
Gonzalez voted against cutting funding for NPR and PBS.
President Trump submitted a bill to Congress to cancel funding previously approved by Congress.
The measure was called the Rescissions Act of 2025.
The Rescissions Act suspended all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR, PBS, and their member stations, for the next two fiscal years.
211 Democrats, including Gonzalez, and two Republicans, voted against the Rescissions Act.
The two Republicans who voted against the measure were Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) and Michael Turner (OH-10).
216 Republicans voted in favor of the Act.
Two Republicans and one Democrat did not vote on the proposal.
The House approved the Rescissions Act, 216 to 213, on July 18, 2025.
Both chambers of Congress approved the Rescissions Act, and President Trump signed it into law.
The Rescissions Act ended all federal support for NPR, PBS, and their member stations.
So if you value your local public radio and television stations, consider making a donation, if you can afford it.
Supports releasing the Epstein Files
Gonzalez supports releasing files held by the Department of Justice related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Gonzalez signed a discharge petition to bring the Epstein Files Transparency Act to the House floor for a vote, and he voted in favor of the bill once the vote was held.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the US Attorney General to publish all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ’s possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.
The Act allows the Attorney General to redact personally identifiable information about victims contained in the files.
214 Democrats, including Gonzalez, signed a discharge petition to bring the bill to the House floor for a vote.
Four Republicans signed the discharge petition as well. They were Thomas Massie (KY-4), Nancy Mace (SC-1), Lauren Boebert (CO-4), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14).
The effort was led by Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Thomas Massie.
After obtaining the required 218 signatures, the Epstein Files Transparency Act received a vote in the House.
Gonzalez voted in favor of the bill.
216 Republicans and 211 Democrats, including Gonzalez, voted in favor of the bill.
One Republican, Clay Higgins (LA-3), voted against the bill.
Three Democrats and two Republicans did not vote on the legislation.
The House approved the bill, 427 to 1, on Nov. 18, 2025.
The Senate approved the bill, without amendment by unanimous consent, and President Trump signed the bill into law.
Progressive Primary Challenger
Vicente Gonzalez has a progressive primary challenger in his South Texas District.
On his campaign website, Etienne Rosas declares that Latino communities are being ignored, exploited, and criminalized.
“We’re up against a real fascist threat – one that scapegoats Latinos, militarizes our border and cities, and hands unchecked power to billionaires, while working families are left behind,” Rosas wrote.
“Our representatives have failed to meet this moment with the urgency it deserves.”
Rosas said these challenges create the conditions for people to build a better future.
“This is also a moment of possibility – a chance for us to come together and fight for a South Texas, and a nation, that finally lives up to its promises: freedom, justice, representation, and dignity for all,” Rosas continued (emphasis in original).
“This campaign isn’t about me. It’s about building a vibrant, grassroots movement from the RGV (Rio Grande Valley) to DC – rooted in the resilience, pride, and power of our people.”
Rosas supports Medicare for All, a $20 minimum wage and four-day workweek, rent control and affordable housing, universal childcare and tuition-free college, protecting immigrants and abolishing ICE, and taxing billionaires.
A screenshot of the priorities listed on Etienne Rosas’s campaign website.
On his campaign website, Gonzalez says he supports fully funding pre-k and local Head Start programs, helping college students graduate debt free, tuition-free higher learning for the first two years after high school, expanding social security to keep up with inflation, strengthening Medicare, expanding Medicaid, strengthening trade along the Texas-Mexico border, and investing in infrastructure.
On immigration, Gonzalez says he supports combating criminal elements crossing the border with smart and thoughtful border security, compassionate immigration reform with a pathway to earned citizenship, and passing the DREAM Act, a bill that would provide legal status and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children, who meet certain requirements.
In the immigration section of his campaign website, Gonzalez does not take a position on whether to abolish ICE.
Etienne Rosas is one of the Democrats you can support through the Democratic Victory Fund, which raises money for Democrats in important races, nationwide.
You can also support Ricardo Villarreal, one of Henry Cuellar’s Democratic primary challengers, through the Democratic Victory Fund.
Texas will hold its 2026 primary elections on Tuesday, March 3.
Conclusion
While I am quite fond of Vicente Gonzalez’s progressive primary challenger, Etienne Rosas, I imagine Gonzalez will likely win his primary election next week.
If Gonzalez wins his primary, he will undoubtedly be better than whoever wins the Republican nomination for his district.
Before we bid adieu, let’s summarize what we’ve learned about Gonzalez from his time in Congress.
Gonzalez supports El Salvador’s Authoritarian Leader Nayib Bukele.
Gonzalez voted against trans rights, by voting for a nationwide gender-affirming healthcare ban for transgender youth, and for a nationwide transgender sports ban.
He voted in favor of LGBT rights, by voting for the Equality Act, and in favor of gay marriage, by voting for the Respect for Marriage Act.
Gonzalez voted in favor of reproductive rights by voting for bills that would protect access to abortion and contraception.
Gonzalez voted to impeach Trump three times, for blackmailing Ukraine, obstructing Congress, and inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Gonzalez voted for the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act, all of which were key parts of President Biden’s Economic Agenda.
He supported student loan forgiveness, and voted for military aid for both Ukraine and Israel.
Gonzales opposed the Big Ugly Bill, which cut taxes for the rich, cut Medicaid funding for the poor, and increased funding for ICE.
Gonzalez voted against cuts to NPR and PBS, and he voted in favor of releasing the Epstein Files.
While I dislike Gonzalez’s support for Bukele, his votes against trans rights, and his support for military aid for Israel, there can be no denying that Gonzalez has been on the right side of a lot of important issues during his time in Congress.
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