GOP Leaders Urge Gonzales To End Reelection Bid After Affair Admission
House GOP asked Rep. Tony Gonzales to withdraw after he admitted an affair with aide Regina Santos-Aviles and the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation.
CBS NewsGOP leaders urge Tony Gonzales to drop reelection bid after he admitted affair with aide
New York MagazineIt May Finally Be the End of the Line for Tony Gonzales
Daily BeastSpeaker Asks Cheating MAGA Rep. to Drop Out of Race
PBS NewsHourHouse Republican leaders urge Tony Gonzales to end reelection bid after admitting to affair with aide
Overview
House Republican leaders including Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer and GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain urged Rep. Tony Gonzales on Thursday to withdraw from his reelection race.
The House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee or discriminated by dispensing special favors or privileges.
Gonzales told the Joe Pags Show he had a relationship with staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, said he "made a mistake" and that he would fully cooperate with the investigation.
Regina Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire in Uvalde, Texas, and a May 2024 text exchange obtained by CBS shows Gonzales asked for explicit photos.
GOP leaders asked the Ethics Committee to act expeditiously while Gonzales faces a May runoff to determine the Republican nominee and the House GOP holds a one-vote margin.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources report this story without overt editorial framing. They foreground verified facts, attributed quotes and official actions (ethics probe, GOP leadership statement), present multiple perspectives (Gonzales's apology, critics' calls for resignation, family and investigators' accounts) and avoid loaded language beyond source quotes, giving a factual, contextual account.
FAQ
The House Ethics Committee is investigating whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee and whether he discriminated by dispensing special favors or privileges[1]. The Office of Congressional Compliance (OCC) found "substantial reason to believe" that Gonzales had a sexual relationship with his staffer Regina Santos-Aviles[1]. The investigation centers on explicit text messages from May 2024 in which Gonzales requested "sexy pics" from Santos-Aviles, who repeatedly declined and stated the communications were "going too far".
Text messages from May 2024 show Gonzales, a married father of six, repeatedly requesting explicit photos from Santos-Aviles[7]. In one exchange, Gonzales asked for a "sexy pic," and Santos-Aviles responded: "This is going too far boss"[3]. A fellow staffer told investigators that Santos-Aviles described text messages with Gonzales that "were sexual in nature, that were romantic in nature"[1]. Additionally, a message from Santos-Aviles' husband to Gonzales and other staffers confirmed he discovered "she's been having an affair on me with your boss Tony Gonzales for some time now"[3].
GOP leaders urged Gonzales to withdraw while he faces a **May runoff election** to determine the Republican nominee and the House GOP holds only a **one-vote majority**[1]. Gonzales finished second in his primary race on Tuesday with a close enough margin to force a runoff against hard-right challenger Brandon Herrera[6]. The narrow GOP House margin makes any vacancy potentially consequential for the party's legislative position, and the ongoing Ethics Committee investigation creates uncertainty heading into the runoff.
Gonzales initially denied the affair but admitted to it on Wednesday in an interview with conservative radio host Joe Pagliarulo, stating "I made a mistake, and there was a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions"[5]. He said he has "reconciled with my wife Angel" and "asked God to forgive me, which he has"[2]. Regarding the investigation, Gonzales stated: "I welcome the opportunity to present all the facts to the committee"[1]. However, he has claimed that Santos-Aviles' husband is attempting extortion, alleging the husband sought a $300,000 settlement and that timing of revelations coincided with political pressure[2].
Regina Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire in Uvalde, Texas, and her death was ruled a suicide[6]. She left behind an 8-year-old son with her estranged husband, Adrian Aviles[6]. Her husband has been vocal about his view that Gonzales' conduct contributed to her death. Aviles told CNN that Gonzales is "a predator" and stated: "You ended a family because of your predatorial instincts"[6]. Santos-Aviles' attorney, Bobby Barrera, argued that "Regina taking her life is a result of the collateral consequences of the discovery of that affair" and that she experienced different treatment at work following the discovery[8].
