It's a Numbers Game: UPDATE: Tony Gonzales Drops Out of TX-23 Race

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Special Segment: It’s a Numbers Game – UPDATE: Tony Gonzales Drops Out of TX-23 Race
Host: Ryan Girdusky
Date: March 7, 2026
Episode Length (content): ~6 minutes (03:05 - 07:55)

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Episode Overview

This special mini-episode features Ryan Girdusky providing a spontaneous update on breaking political news: Congressman Tony Gonzales has announced he will not seek reelection and is dropping out of the TX-23 Republican runoff. Girdusky delivers sharp critique and context around Gonzales's record, the allegations surrounding him, and the implications for the future of the seat.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breaking News: Tony Gonzales Withdraws

• Girdusky recorded this update after initially indicating Gonzales was holding out on his Friday episode, but news broke late Thursday night that Gonzales was dropping out.
• Quote:
  “Around midnight, Congressman Tony Gonzales, who I have been a vocal critic of, announced that he was going to not run for reelection.”
  (03:20–03:34)

2. Gonzales’s Resignation Statement

• Girdusky reads and responds to Gonzales’s social media post, which frames his exit in the language of public service and sacrifice.
• Quote (Gonzales’s post as read by Girdusky):
  "At 18, I swore an oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic… fought for that cause with my absolute dedication to the country that I love.”
  (03:43–04:12)

3. Criticism of Gonzales’s Actions and Character

• Girdusky references:

  • The widely discussed affair between Gonzales and a staffer (who later took her own life).
  • Accusations that Gonzales called fellow Republicans racists for wanting to close the border.

• Strongly challenges the substance of Gonzales’s public statements about serving and defending the district.

• Quote:
  “Tony Gonzalez was allegedly… the same congressman who called fellow Republicans racists for wanting to close the border during Joe Biden's invasion of our borders.”
  (04:15–04:33)

• Girdusky sharply rebuts Gonzales’s claims:
  “Literally did nothing to overcome the border crisis. Except pose for a picture with Elon Musk, which he uses as a fundraising ploy.”
  (04:41–04:52)

4. Personal Attacks and Moral Judgments

• Girdusky is direct and unsparing in his characterization of Gonzales, going beyond political critique to personal condemnation.

• Quote:
  “Tony Gonzalez is a bad, bad, bad man…this is a very, very self-indulgent individual who plays the victim card, pretends he's taking the high road and almost never is.”
  (06:16–06:28)

• Highlights the repercussions of Gonzales’s actions on others, especially the family and survivors of his former staffer:

  • Quote:
    “As if he doesn't have to go to bed every night with a child asking where his mother is and if his mother's ever coming home…say that he was responsible for his wife's suicide.”
    (06:03–06:13)

5. Speculation on Reasons for Withdrawal

• Suggests Gonzales withdrew to avoid a likely landslide defeat after possibly losing Trump’s endorsement.
• Questions whether Gonzales intends to return to politics in the future, depending on campaign fund status.
• Quote:
  “My guess is that Gonzalez got a call from Trump that he was going to pull the endorsement and he didn't want to actually lose. And he would have lost in a terrible landslide.”
  (06:48–07:16)

6. Implications for TX-23 and Republican Politics

• Brandon Herrera, “a wild character,” is now the GOP nominee; at least, Girdusky says, he doesn’t have Gonzales’s controversies.
• Credits the conservative grassroots and voters for ousting Gonzales.
• Quote:
  “Kudos to the majority of voters in Texas' 23rd district. In the Republican primary, voted against him. You also made this very possible.”
  (07:46–07:55)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gonzales’s statement:
  “This reads like a college commencement speech, by the way, in a D-list college. This is terrible writing.”
  (05:03–05:07)

• On Gonzales’s moral standing:
  “God has the plan for all of us. That is, pardon my French, a crock of…”
  (05:29–05:37)

• On the impact of the podcast:
  “I hope that the pressure that this podcast applied and what I applied on social media helped…the speaker and other people make a difference to realize that the conservatives were angry and didn't want Tony Gonzalez to be a nominee and a congressman anymore.”
  (07:31–07:46)

• Final send-off:
  “Anyway, goodbye. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Adios.”
  (07:25–07:31)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:05 — Start of Special Episode / Update announcement
• 03:32 — Confirmation of Gonzales dropping out
• 03:43 — Reading Gonzales’s resignation post
• 04:15–04:33 — Critique of Gonzales on border policy
• 04:41–04:52 — Mocking Gonzales’s record on the border
• 05:03–05:07 — Derision of the resignation statement
• 06:16–06:28 — Moral criticism; “self-indulgent” label
• 06:48–07:16 — Speculation on withdrawal motivation / Trump’s endorsement
• 07:31–07:46 — On impact of activism and media
• 07:46–07:55 — Acknowledging the voters’ role in Gonzales’s defeat

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Tone and Style Notes

• The episode is highly critical, direct, and at times sarcastic.
• Girdusky does not mince words, blending discussion of policy missteps with personal and moral condemnation.
• There’s a sense of triumph and vindication as he credits grassroots conservative activism and hints at the power of media influence.

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For listeners who missed this episode:
Ryan Girdusky provides a scathing, detailed update on the abrupt end to Congressman Tony Gonzales’s reelection bid in Texas’s 23rd district, mixing political analysis with pointed personal critique and celebrating what he sees as a win for conservative voters and activist pressure.

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Transcript

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[Ryan Graduski]

This is a special episode of A Numbers Game with Ryan Graduski. A short episode to tell you an update on the Friday episode. So if you watch the Friday episode or listen to it I had mentioned that Tony Gonzalez was basically holding out that he was going to run. And I recorded that late on Thursday and then Thursday around midnight, Congressman Tony Gonzalez, who I have been a vocal critic of, announced that he was going

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

to not run for reelection.

[Ryan Graduski]

He was going to drop out of the runoff. And, and you know, that's why I

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

felt like I had to update the audience with this quick mini episode.

[Ryan Graduski]

So at 11:14pm on the east Coast, Gonzalez posted an image on social media saying, At 18, I swore an oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That during my 20 years in the military and three terms in Congress, I have fought for that cause with my absolute dedication to the country that I love. I, I want to remind everybody, by the way, about Tony Gonzalez. I know everyone's talked about the affair

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

and the, and the, and the employee

[Ryan Graduski]

who was his mistress who took her own life. Tony Gonzalez was allegedly, according to many Republicans in the Texas allegation, the same congressman who called fellow Republicans racists for wanting to close the border during Joe

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

Biden's invasion of our borders.

[Ryan Graduski]

So I think it's important context when

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

he's talking about, you know, defending our country.

[Ryan Graduski]

Back to the statement from overcoming the border crisis.

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

Literally did nothing to overcome the border crisis.

[Ryan Graduski]

But except he did pose a picture

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

with Elon Musk, which he uses a fundraising ploy. So I guess he did one thing during the whole border invasion was he posed for a picture to taking a

[Ryan Graduski]

stand with my communities after the worst school shooting in Texas. Philosophy has never changed. Do as much as you can and always fight for the greater good. This reads like a college commencement speech,

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

by the way, in a D list college. This is terrible writing.

[Ryan Graduski]

After deep reflection, with the support of my loving family, the ones, the ones he cheated on, I have decided not to seek reelection while serving out the rest of my term in Congress with a commitment I've always had in my district through the rest of my term, I will continue to fight for my constituents for whom I am internally grateful. God has the plan for all of us. That is, pardon my French, a crock of. What about the constituent who was married to your staffer, who you had the

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

affair with, who went on to commit

[Ryan Graduski]

her suicide, who you went on national radio and insisted that he was gay and responsible for his wife's suicide not even 24 hours ago.

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

What about him?

[Ryan Graduski]

You seem to have no problem throwing him as if his life hasn't already been completely turned upside down. In part, you know, because of the choices Gonzalez made. As if he doesn't have to go to bed every night with a child

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

asking where his mother is and if

[Ryan Graduski]

his mother's ever coming home. You decided to say, not only defame him and say his sexuality about his sexuality, but say that he was responsible

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

for his wife's suicide.

[Ryan Graduski]

Tony Gonzalez is a bad, bad, bad man. I'm just, I, I normally don't go into, I just talk about policy and issues.

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

But this is a very, very self

[Ryan Graduski]

indulgent individual who plays the victim card, pretends he's taking the high road and almost never is. And I also have a question in my mind of how much money he

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

has left in his campaign coffers, because

[Ryan Graduski]

if he does, he could hold it

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

there and try to make a comeback in a few years if Brandon Herrera flames out or if retires or whatnot. Brandon Herrera is the Republican nominee now for the seat and he's a wild character, but he doesn't at least have this going for him. At least I don't think so. My guess is that he, that Gonzalez got a call from Trump that he was going to pull the endorsement and he didn't want to actually lose. And he would have lost in a terrible landslide. It probably would.

[Ryan Graduski]

A 20 point loss and decided this

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

was the easier road. He can go work on the private

[Ryan Graduski]

sector for a couple of years and then make a decision on whether or

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

not people have forgotten about what he's done.

[Ryan Graduski]

Anyway, goodbye. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

Adios. And I am very excited.

[Ryan Graduski]

I hope that the pressure that this

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

podcast applied and what I applied on social media help, you know, the speaker and other people make a difference to realize that the conservatives were angry and didn't want Tony Gonzalez to be a nominee and a, and a congressman anymore.

[Ryan Graduski]

And kudos to the majority of voters

[Ryan Graduski (Alternate Voice or Emphasis)]

In Texas the 23rd district in the Republican primary voted against him. You also made this very possible.

[Ryan Graduski]

That's this very short episode. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I will speak to you guys on Monday.

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