Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, is seen here at a news conference on border security outside of the U.S. Capitol Building on November 14, 2023.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
Rep. Tony Gonzales is facing increasing pressure from his own party to step down following revelations of an alleged affair with a staffer who tragically took her own life.
Several House Republicans have called for Gonzales to resign or withdraw from the upcoming election after explicit text messages between Gonzales and Regina Santos-Aviles, his former employee who later died by suicide, were made public.
Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas posted on social media urging Gonzales to drop out of the race, a sentiment echoed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida.
Congresswomen Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace have also joined the chorus demanding Gonzales’s resignation.
While Gonzales has denied the allegations, his office has not responded to requests for comment.
The Office of Congressional Conduct is conducting an investigation into the alleged affair, with the findings expected to be passed on to the House Ethics Committee soon.
House Speaker Mike Johnson emphasized the seriousness of the accusations and stated that due process must be followed before any decisions are made.
Gonzales, who is in his third term representing Texas’ 23rd congressional district, is facing a tough primary contest and potential runoff in the upcoming election.
Amidst the controversy, the House Freedom Caucus has endorsed Gonzales’s primary opponent Brandon Herrera, citing his strong defense of Second Amendment rights.
The endorsement did not mention the allegations against Gonzales, but focused on Herrera’s conservative values.
