CLEVELAND, Ohio.—A former wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts has won a congressional seat.
Republican Anthony Gonzalez, 34, beat Democrat challenger Susan Moran to take Ohio’s 16th Congressional District seat. This is the first time Gonzalez has had an elected position.
The 16th Congressional District seat was occupied by Republican Jim Renacci since 2011, but Renacci gave up the job to run an unsuccessful campaign for Senate.
Ohio’s 16th district includes rural areas east of Akron and some western suburbs of Cleveland.
Gonzalez was taken by the Colts with the 32nd pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He went on to have 99 receptions, 1307 yards, and 7 touchdowns in his NFL career which lasted until 2011.
After retiring from football, Gonzalez earned his Master of Business Administration from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Gonzalez raised over $525,000 in less than a month after announcing his run, including donations from former NFL teammate Peyton Manning, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, and several other former NFL and college football players.
(PHOTO: Handout/Getty Images)
