Congressman Tony Gonzales announced he’s ending his reelection campaign after he confessed to an extramarital affair with a staffer who eventually set herself on fire.
Gonzales, a Texas Republican, initially denied that he had an affair with his late staffer, Regina Aviles, who died by self-immolation in September. The Daily Mail first broke the story on their tragic relationship last year.
‘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,’ he said in a statement.
He promised that for the rest of his term he would show ‘the same commitment I’ve always had to my district.’
The 45-year-old was set to face a run-off election in the Republican Primary after failing to get 50 percent of the vote on the first ballot.
It came just hours after Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican leadership called for Gonzales to drop out.
‘Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election,’ Johnson said in a joint statement with other top House Republicans on Thursday.
Notably, Gonzales serving out the remainder of his term doesn’t shrink the Republican Party‘s already narrow 218-214 House of Representatives majority heading into the midterms.
Congressman Tony Gonzales announced he’s ending his reelection campaign after he confessed to an extramarital affair with a staffer who eventually set herself on fire
Gonzales had an affair with his late staffer, Regina Aviles, pictured above, and initially denied it until fessing up to their relationship on Wednesday
For months, speculation has swirled over whether or not the Texan would fess up to the allegation, which was first reported in October 2025. And he came under mounting pressure to resign from his position of power after sexually charged texts between Gonzales and Aviles were released.
The bombshell correspondence showed the married congressman petitioning his staffer for inappropriate pictures and asking her about sexual preferences.
‘We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues,’ the joint statement continued.
One day after his primary race on Tuesday, and as calls for his resignation from Republicans and Democrats reached a boiling point, Gonzales admitted to the affair.
He called it a ‘mistake’ and a ‘lapse in judgement.’ He added: ‘I take full responsibility for those actions. Since then, I have reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has. And my faith is as strong as ever.’
His admission came just after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into the Texan’s conduct following a report from the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) indicating ‘substantial reason to believe’ Gonzales was embroiled in the affair. It is against congressional rules for a member to have an affair with a subordinate.
When pressed about Gonzales’ admission, Johnson didn’t let much slip but admitted it’s ‘not against the law.’
Elon Musk visits the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass with Gonzales and Aviles (pictured right)
Gonzales with his wife, Angel, whom he said he has reconciled with
‘I’m not going to get into private conversations,’ Johnson told Punchbowl News. ‘But I’ve told him to be forthright. Apparently now he’s doing that.’
When asked whether Gonzales should remain in Congress, given the scandal, the top Republican – and devout Christian – played coy.
‘Marital infidelity is not against the law,’ Johnson said.
Reminded that it’s against House rules for a member to have an affair with a staffer, Johnson admitted it was.
‘Well, of course, yeah. That’s being addressed. There is an investigation at Ethics. The OCC is on it. All those steps have already been taken and apparently were underway.’
‘I’ve always been consistent, whether you’re talking about Republicans or Democrats, we let the processes play out,’ the speaker added.
Both Democrats and Republicans have called on Gonzales to resign, or at a minimum, drop his bid for reelection.
Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina accused Gonzales of ‘harassing his own staffer in the middle of the night’ and has called on him to ‘resign immediately and be held fully accountable for what he’s done.’
Gonzales, a Navy veteran, campaigned as a devoted family man. His is pictured here with his wife, Angel, and six kids
This week Mace filed a resolution to force the House Ethics Committee to release its reports on sexual misconduct by members.
However, the House decisively voted to send the resolution to committee – a move that effectively killed Mace’s effort to expose the reports.
‘I think it’s really disgusting how this institution protects itself,’ Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna of Florida fumed on Wednesday.
‘We just had a Member of Congress literally sexually harass a woman that then lit herself on fire and you all protected him!’ she decried at a committee hearing. ‘You guys all protected him! My own side, your side.’
This week, Luna filed a censure resolution – one of the most severe punishments in Congress outside of expulsion – against Gonzales for his misconduct.
Chair of the Congressional Democratic Women’s Caucus, Teresa Leger Fernández, in addition to scores of other liberal lawmakers, have also called for Gonzales’ resignation.
‘Rep. Tony Gonzales’s actions would result in a termination and investigation in any other workplace.’
‘Rep. Gonzales should resign,’ she added, noting his ‘abuse of power.’
Republican congressional candidate Brandon Herrera, who is now the favorite to win the seat in November
Gonzales finally admitted Wednesday night to having an affair with his Aviles. The admission comes months after Daily Mail first confirmed the affair and after the Texas Congressman denied he had a romantic relationship with his employee
Gonzales’ position seemed even more tenuous after he finished second in the Republican Primary to return to his seat to Brandon Herrera, a conservative YouTuber known as ‘The AK Guy.’
Herrera finished first with 43.3 percent of the vote to Gonzales’ 41.7 percent.
The two of them would have faced a run-off election in late May to determine the Republican nominee in the November midterms.
Herrera has yet to comment on Gonzales’ decision but praised Johnson for urging him out for having ‘tarnished the office.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to a spokesperson for Herrera for comment.
