Republican leadership calls for congressman to drop re-election bid after admitting to affair with married staffer who died by suicide
House Republican leadership on Thursday called on Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas to drop his re-election bid after he admitted to an extramarital affair with a former staffer who was married who ultimately died by suicide.
The call comes after the House Ethics Committee announced it was investigating Gonzales for his extramarital affair with Regina Santos-Aviles, a 35-year-old married woman and mother who worked in his office in Uvalde.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain released a joint statement on Thursday.
“The Ethics Committee has announced an investigation into Congressman Tony Gonzales’s conduct, and we urge them to act expeditiously,” they said on Thursday. “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 re-election.”
Over the past year, The San Antonio Express-News reported reported multiple stories about Santos-Aviles and her death where she set herself on fire.
Gonzales had initially stayed mum ahead of the primary this Tuesday where he faced YouTuber Brendan Herrera, whom he beat in a runoff in 2024. President Donald Trump had endorsed Gonzales in the race.
But on Tuesday, neither Gonzales nor Herrera earned enough votes to win an outright majority, triggering a runoff election in May. On Wednesday evening, Gonzales admitted to an extramarital affair in an interview with conservative talk show host Joe Pagliarulo.
