Rep. Tony Gonzales drops out of House runoff race after admitting affair with aide

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales dropped his reelection bid for his Texas congressional district on Thursday, after admitting to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek reelection while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” Gonzales said in a statement on X that did not directly mention the scandal that has dogged the three-term congressman in recent weeks.

Gonzales was set to face off against hard-right gun activist Brandon Herrera in a GOP primary runoff in May. Herrera will now face Democrat Katy Padilla Stout in November. 

The 23rd Congressional District, which covers a large swath of the U.S.-Mexico border and West Texas, heavily favors Republicans.

Despite calls from Democrats and Republicans to resign, Gonzales had previously insisted he would not resign or drop out of the race. But one day after the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation and he admitted to the affair, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other members of Republican leadership called on him to drop his reelection bid. 

“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues. In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election,” House GOP leadership said Thursday. 

Gonzales had previously denied the affair with Regina Santos-Aviles, a former aide who died in September after lighting herself on fire. According to a police report released last month in Uvalde, Texas, Santos-Aviles was conscious when police arrived that night and told officers, “my god, I don’t wanna die.”

Santos-Aviles was married and had a son. Gonzales is married and is the father of six children. 

Texts between the pair that were viewed by CBS News showed Santos-Aviles told Gonzales “this is going too far boss” after he asked for a “sexy pic” in 2024. In another text exchange with a coworker that was viewed by CBS News, Santos-Aviles wrote, “I had affair with boss.” 

A day after his primary with Herrera, Gonzales acknowledged the affair in an interview with a conservative talk show host. The congressman called it a “mistake” and a “lapse in judgment,” but insisted the controversy surrounding the affair was “about power and money.”