Rodriguez won the runoff with 54% of the vote to Bonilla's 46%. Bonilla was the first Republican incumbent in Texas to be unseated by a Democrat in 10 years, since Nick Lampson's defeat of Steve Stockman in a 1996 runoff election. Lampson was also returned to Congress in 2006 after being defeated for reelection in 2004, like Rodriguez in another district. Bonilla said in interviews the night of his defeat that his loss was in part a result of the changed districting. He ran controversial commercials that claimed that Rodriguez took funds from terrorists, which media outlets called "bold claims". He later apologized to the press for any of those who took offense, but stood by his statement. However, a large number of Hispanics and Latinos, who predominantly reside in District 23, had expressed disdain for Bonilla by stating that he had fallen out of touch with the needs and concerns of minorities. His reputation even earned him the nickname "Henry Vanilla", as some Hispanics claimed that Bonilla no longer could relate to his culture. In a year of war, illegal immigration issues, and a proposed border fence, Latinos left the Republicans side in droves. After his term in Congress expired, Bonilla was nominated to be Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador. After two months with no action by the Senate, Bonilla asked U.S. President George W. Bush to withdraw his nomination. Following the withdrawal of his ambassador nomination, Bonilla joined the Washington-based firm The Normandy Group. In December 2016, Bonilla and two other Texas Republicans, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Miller's predecessor in that office, Susan Combs, were interviewed for the position of United States Secretary of Agriculture in the Trump Administration.