US EditionGOP Rep. Tony Gonzales drops re-election bid amid ethics probe into his affair with a staffer
Rep. Tony Gonzales faced pressure from GOP leaders and a House Ethics Committee probe after admitting an affair with a late staffer; he will serve out his term but not seek reelection.
- Thursday, Gonzales announced on X he would not seek re-election, stating, 'After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out this Congress,' Gonzales said.
- The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into whether Gonzales "engaged in sexual misconduct" earlier this week, while top House Republican leaders urged him to withdraw amid public release of explicit texts from May 2024 as early voting unfolded.
- Regina Ann Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 in Uvalde, Texas, and the medical examiner ruled her death a suicide; Gonzales said he had "absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing" and took responsibility for his mistake.
- Gonzales's departure clears the path for Brandon Herrera, while the 218-214 Republican congressional majority makes Gonzales's decision to remain crucial, and House GOP leadership including Speaker Mike Johnson urged the Ethics Committee to act expeditiously.
- The Ethics Committee's jurisdiction is limited to sitting lawmakers, and the Office of Congressional Conduct completed its inquiry within 60 days of Gonzales's primary, affecting result publication timing.
166 Articles
166 Articles
Gonzales exit skirts disciplinary headache for GOP's thin majority
Rep. Tony Gonzales’s (R-TX) decision to end his reelection bid has quelled an effort to rebuke him for having an affair with a staffer — sparing House Republicans a messy disciplinary fight as they struggle to manage their razor-thin majority. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is reportedly halting her effort to censure the Texas Republican over the affair, but told Politico Friday she would follow through with triggering the resolution if “any more…
Will Brian Fitzpatrick Return $8,500 from Disgraced Congressman Tony Gonzales?
FEC records show that Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick has taken $8,500 in campaign donations from his disgraced GOP colleague Tony Gonzales’ leadership PAC, who this week admitted to engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate who later killed herself. Records show that Fitzpatrick accepted four-figure donations from Gonzales’ PAC on at least three separate occasions: Fitzpatrick’s own party bosses forced Gonzales to d…
GOP Rep. Gonzales ending reelection bid after admitting to affair with late staffer
By Sarah Ferris, Ellis Kim, CNN (CNN) — GOP Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales said he is ending his reelection bid after admitting to an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide. “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,” he said in a statement posted on X late Thursday night. Gon…
GOP Congressman Ends Re-election Bid Amid Affair Scandal
A Republican Texas congressman who has been the focus of attention due to his affair with a former aide who died by suicide has ended his effort to keep his […] The post GOP Congressman Ends Re-election Bid Amid Affair Scandal appeared first on The Western Journal.
House Reinforces Anti-Harassment Efforts as Scandal Sinks GOP Rep
House lawmakers push anti-sexual harassment efforts as a representative announced Thursday that he will finish out his term but “not seek re-election” after he faced widespread scrutiny for an affair with his staffer. That affair ultimately resulted in her suicide. “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,” Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said on X. “…
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