GOP House leaders ask Gonzales to drop reelection bid after affair confession

WASHINGTON - Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives, including Speaker Mike Johnson, have asked Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) to drop out of his race for reelection. 

The calls come after Gonzales admitted to an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide via self-immolation. Gonzales had been distancing himself from the rumor for months prior to his primary race on Tuesday, which resulted in a coming runoff election in May. 

Johnson, House leaders call for Gonzales to resign

The latest:

Johnson released a joint statement with Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer and GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain on Thursday, echoing earlier recommendations that Gonzales address his scandal directly with his constituents and now asking him to drop out of his runoff. 

What they're saying:

"The Ethics Committee has announced an investigation into Congressman Tony Gonzales's conduct, and we urge them to act expeditiously," the statement says. "Congressman Gonzales has said he will fully cooperate with the investigation. 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 reelection."

Johnson had previously ducked questions about whether Gonzales would be forced out of office prior to his primary, with the GOP holding onto an uncomfortably thin majority ahead of the midterms. 

Brandon Herrera weighs in

The San Antonio Republican had already narrowly held onto his large district in 2024, when he scraped out a runoff win against gun YouTuber Brandon Herrera by a few hundred votes. 

That matchup is back on the table in May, but this time, Herrera came out ahead in the initial vote by close to a thousand ballots. Herrera may not have a runoff to worry about if the House leaders have their way, and he was quick to thank them on social media. 

What they're saying:

"I would like to thank Speaker Johnson and House leadership for holding Congressman Tony Gonzales accountable for actions that have tarnished the office," Herrera said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "I’m looking forward to representing the district the way the people of West Texas have always deserved."

While "The AK Guy" may be handed an easy nomination this time around, he would still face a Democratic challenger in November. By the Associated Press' numbers, Democrats outshone Republicans in the district's polls by around 4,000 voters on Tuesday. 

Gonzales originally won the San Antonio-anchored district when the Hispanic population swung red a few cycles back. Katy Padilla Stout, the Democratic nominee for D-23, garnered about 7,000 more votes than Herrera on Tuesday.

Tony Gonzales admits to affair

The backstory:

Wednesday, Gonzales appeared on the "Joe Pags Show" podcast, where he was asked whether he had a relationship with his former aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles. She had served as his primary staffer in the Uvalde area, where previous reports from the San Antonio Express-News said she took her own life by setting herself on fire in her backyard in September 2025. The rumored affair was given more credence when texts were revealed to the outlet by another alleged former staffer, and later Santos-Aviles' widowed husband. 

Gonzales, who had been dodging that question since Santos-Aviles' death and using words like "blackmail" over social media uproar about the scandal, finally gave an answer. 

What they're saying:

"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.

"I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing, and in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else," he went on.

"I've asked God to forgive me, which he has," he added.

House blocks release of ethics records

Dig deeper:

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) introduced a resolution last week directing the House Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release records and reports on all members of Congress investigated for sexual harassment and sexual advances.

"Tony Gonzales showed us what is happening in Congress. But he is not the only one," Mace said. "The American people deserve answers. Staff deserve answers. Women deserve answers. No more protection for predators in Congress. We are going to shine a light on every single one of them."

The vote was held Wednesday, and was blocked by the House with a vote of 357-65. 

Of Texas representatives, only Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Brandon Gill (R-TX) and Chip Roy (R-TX) voted Nay on the motion to refer the resolution, which equates to voting yes on releasing the records. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) and Vincente Gonzalez (D-TX) did not cast votes. 

The rest of the Texas voices in the House, some 32 representatives, voted Yea, in favor of blocking the release. Gonzales was among this group. 

Click here to see the full list of votes. You can sort by states, parties and vote types to see how your representative voted. 

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