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.
“I take responsibility for my actions,” Gonzales finally said late Wednesday after months of calls for his ouster. “It’s also important to know all the details and all the facts.”
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.
“I made a mistake and I had a lapse in judgement and there was a lack of faith and I take full responsibility for those actions,” he said. Gonzales said he asked his wife and God for forgiveness.
A Navy veteran from San Antonio and one of a handful of Hispanic conservatives in the House of Representatives, Gonzales had been considered a rising star and point person for Republicans on immigration.
But the news of the affair, including screenshots of him asking for risque photos from Santos-Aviles, led to Republicans, including many conservatives, to call for his resignation.
Republican leadership did not call for Gonzales to resign. Republicans have only 218 seats in the House of Representatives, meaning they can only afford to lose one of their own members every vote. A resignation from Gonzales could risk their majority.
The House Ethics Committee announced this week that it would open a probe into whether Gonzales violated any rules in connection with allegations that he may have engaged in inappropriate work conduct.
-Rachel Dobkin contributed reporting.
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