Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced Thursday night that he is withdrawing from the Republican primary race for his congressional seat after facing growing pressure from fellow Republicans to step aside amid a personal scandal that has shaken his campaign.
Gonzales’ decision comes just days after the embattled lawmaker advanced to a runoff election in May, setting up a contest against YouTuber Brandon Herrera after neither candidate secured a majority of the vote in Tuesday’s Republican primary.
The controversy surrounding Gonzales stems from revelations about a relationship he admitted having with a former staffer, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, whose tragic death last year brought renewed scrutiny to the situation.
In September, Santos-Aviles set herself on fire after dousing herself in gasoline. She died the following day.
Her husband, Adrian Aviles, later said that his wife had confessed to him in May 2024 that she had begun an affair with Gonzales just weeks earlier. According to Adrian Aviles, the relationship began two or three weeks before she revealed it to him.
Aviles said he urged his wife to quit her job working for the congressman after learning about the relationship. However, she declined to resign from her position.
The issue resurfaced last month when 24Sight News published text messages from May 2024 allegedly exchanged between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles. In those messages, Gonzales reportedly asked the staffer to send him a “sexy pic.”
Santos-Aviles declined the request and ultimately responded in one message, “This is going too far, boss.”
The revelations intensified scrutiny on the Texas Republican just as his reelection campaign entered a critical stage. Gonzales had secured enough votes in Tuesday’s primary to move forward but failed to reach the majority needed to avoid a runoff.
One day after advancing to the runoff, Gonzales publicly acknowledged the affair for the first time.
“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said Wednesday.
The congressman also said he had worked to repair his personal life in the aftermath of the situation.
“Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel,” he said. “I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has. And my faith is as strong as ever.”
Despite that statement, pressure from within Republican circles continued to mount for Gonzales to step aside from the race.
By Thursday evening, the Texas lawmaker announced he would end his reelection campaign altogether.
Posting a statement on the social media platform X, Gonzales said he had made the decision after careful reflection and discussions with his family.
“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” Gonzales wrote.
Although he is stepping away from the campaign trail, Gonzales indicated he intends to finish his current term in Congress and continue representing his constituents until it concludes.
“Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful,” he added.
Gonzales’ departure from the race marks a dramatic turn in a Republican primary that had already drawn attention and now leaves the field reshaped as the party looks ahead to the upcoming runoff election.
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