The Republican primary for the 23rd Congressional District is ending on a deeply uncertain note as Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, appears more politically imperiled than ever and both parties contemplate a potential general election without him.
The primary was upended as early voting began last week, when the San Antonio Express-News reported that Gonzales had an affair with an aide who later died after setting herself on fire. The story prompted a wave of other damning revelations about his relationship with the aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, and gave fresh momentum to his leading primary rival, Brandon Herrera, who already came close to unseating Gonzales in 2024.
Gonzales has resisted calls to resign and sought to show he is plowing forward with his campaign, attending President Donald Trump’s visit to Corpus Christi on Friday. But there are signs emerging that even if he makes it into a runoff against Herrera, he may not be able to count on some of the powerful allies he had in the primary.
