GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas ends reelection bid after admitting to
affair with aide
[March 06, 2026]
By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said late
Thursday he was withdrawing from his reelection race, after having
admitted an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide,
but he vowed to finish out his term in Congress.
He had faced calls from GOP leadership to end his reelection bid, and
from others in Congress to resign.
“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have
decided not to seek re-election,” Gonzales said in a statement posted
late Thursday to X.
The move is the latest in a quickly changing situation that stunned
Capitol Hill and resulted in a House Ethics Committee investigation into
his conduct. Gonzales' decision to bow out of the race appears to clear
the field. On Tuesday, he had been forced into a May runoff against
Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and YouTube gun-rights influencer
who narrowly lost to him in the 2024 primary.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and the GOP leadership earlier Thursday had
called on Gonzales to withdraw from reelection after Gonzales, a day
earlier, acknowledged a relationship that has upturned the political
world in his home state and in Washington.
“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations
directly with his constituents and his colleagues,” said Johnson,
Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer, and GOP Conference
Chairwoman Lisa McClain in a statement.
“In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw
from his race for reelection.”
Johnson, R-La., has been under enormous pressure from his own GOP
lawmakers to take action, and several Republicans have already called
for Gonzales to step aside. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has
introduced two resolutions to punish Gonzales. The first seeks to remove
him from his assignments on the House Appropriations and Homeland
Security committees, while the second seeks to censure him.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, meanwhile, said he
would support expelling Gonzales from the House, a rare step that
requires a two-thirds vote from the chamber.
GOP leaders notably did not call for Gonzales to resign from office as
they struggle to maintain their slim majority in the House, which they
hold by only a handful of seats.
[to top of second column]
|
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference about
school safety enhancements at North East Independent School District
in front of the new Wilshire Safety Training Center Friday, Feb. 6,
2026. (Blaine Young/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)
Their move came after Gonzales, appearing on the “Joe Pags Show,”
was asked whether he had a relationship with the aide, Regina Ann
Santos-Aviles.
Santos-Aviles, 35, died after setting herself on fire in the
backyard of her home in Uvalde, Texas. The Bexar County Medical
Examiner’s Office later ruled her death a suicide.
“I made a mistake and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a
lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,”
Gonzales said.
The congressman, now in his third term, had said he would not step
down in response to the allegations, telling reporters recently that
there will be opportunities for all the details and facts to come
out.
Gonzales, a father of six, first won his seat in 2020 after retiring
from a 20-year career in the Navy that included time in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
In the interview broadcast Wednesday, Gonzales said he had not
spoken to Santos-Aviles since June 2024. She died in September 2025.
“I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing, and in
fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales went on to say he had reconciled with his wife, Angel, and
has asked God to forgive him. He also said he looked forward to the
Ethics Committee investigation.
Johnson and GOP leadership urged that committee to “act
expeditiously.”
Under House ethics rules, lawmakers may not engage in a sexual
relationship with any employee of the House under their supervision.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
