Trump foe won’t seek re-election

of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol announced he will not seek re-election in Ohio next year.

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, a former NFL player with a once-bright political future, cited his two young children for his decision and noted “the chaotic political environment that currently infects our country.” He is the first Latino to represent Ohio in Congress.

“While my desire to build a fuller family life is at the heart of my deciruary sion, it is also true that the current state of our politics, especially many of the toxic dynamics inside our own party, is a significant factor in my decisions,” Gonzalez said in his statement Thursday night.

Gonzalez, 36, would have faced Max Miller in the 2022 primary. Trump has endorsed Miller, his former White House and campaign aide, as part of his bid to punish those who voted for his impeachment or blocked his efforts to overturn the results of the election.

Gonzalez represents Ohio’s 16th Congressional District, in the northeastern part of the state.

The Ohio Republican Party censured Gonzalez in May for voting in FebOne to impeach Trump. Gonzalez has stood by his impeachment vote in the face of fierce pushback from his party’s conservative wing.

In an interview with the New York Times announcing his decision, Gonzalez called Trump “a cancer for the country” who represents a threat to democracy.

Trump called Gonzalez’s decision not to seek reelection “no loss for Ohio or our Country.” In a statement Friday, the former president said Gonzalez quit after losing popularity following his vote for impeachment.