Ohio Republican and former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez kept his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after winning the reelection in Ohio's 16th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
The 36-year-old politician will serve his consecutive second term after defeating Democratic challenger Aaron Godfrey in the latest tally. With 100% of Ohio District 16 reporting, Gonzalez got 241,656 votes as opposed to Godfrey's 141,212, a 63.1% to 36.9% margin.
Before he was campaigning for an electoral position, Gonzalez ran routes and caught passes on the field as an Ohio State Buckeye back in his collegiate days. He suited up for a total of three years and played alongside fellow future NFL wide receivers Santonio Holmes, Ted Ginn Jr, and Roy Hall as well as Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Troy Smith.
Gonzalez was the 32nd pick of the Colts back in the 2007 NFL Draft. He went on to play all five NFL seasons of his short-lived career with the franchise and recorded a total of 1,307 yards on 99 catches and seven touchdowns through 40 games played.
After a brief stint with the New England Patriots' practice squad, Gonzalez went on to hang his cleats in the spring of 2012 before enrolling at Stanford, where he earned his MBA and started a new career path in the field of politics.
As a former professional athlete himself, Anthony Gonzalez remains involved with sports as he held his Congressional seat. He previously fought for college athletes to receive compensation for their name, image, and likeness and co-authored a bill that could make athletes money from endorsement deals back in September.
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