\n<\/p>\n
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said Thursday that he will end his re-election campaign just one day after admitting to having an affair with a former staffer who died by suicide last year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Gonzales said in a statement that \u201cafter deep reflection,\u201d he has decided not to seek re-election in Texas\u2019s 23rd Congressional District. His announcement comes after he was forced into a GOP primary runoff by challenger Brandon Herrera and calls from fellow Republicans to drop out of the race.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAfter deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I\u2019ve always had to my district. Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful,\u201d he said<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), and GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI) all called on Thursday for Gonzales to end his campaign.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Ethics Committee has announced an investigation into Congressman Tony Gonzales\u2019s conduct, and we urge them to act expeditiously,\u201d the Republicans said. \u201cIn the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That call came after Gonzales admitted<\/a> to an affair with former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, a 35-year-old married mother who died in September 2025 after dousing herself in an accelerant and setting herself on fire at her home in Uvalde, Texas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Gonzales said on Wednesday that his affair with Santos-Aviles ended in the summer of 2024, more than a year before Santos-Aviles committed suicide. Text messages <\/span>published<\/span><\/a> last month by the San Antonio Express-News appear to show Gonzales making sexual requests to Santos-Aviles.<\/span><\/p>\n On Tuesday, Gonzales was forced into a GOP runoff after Herrera took 43.3% of the primary vote to Gonzales\u2019s 41.7%. Herrera, a YouTuber and gun manufacturer, thanked Gonzales for dropping out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI appreciate Tony Gonzales for making the appropriate decision,\u201d he said. \u201cI look forward to being the voice of TX23 that our district deserves. From the border, to oil theft, water rights, data centers, and many other issues. It\u2019s an honor to be chosen and together we will make Texas proud.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n