Texas: Tony Gonzales drops reelection campaign after acknowledging affair with former aide who committed suicide

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales announced that he dropped out of the race for reelection as representative of Texas' 23rd district after acknowledging that he had sexual relations with Regina Santos-Aviles, a former aide who later committed suicide.

Thus, Brandon Herrera will be the Republican candidate to represent the Texas district in the House of Representatives. Gonzales confirmed that he will conclude his term.

Through a statement released on social media, Gonzales, 45, a native of San Antonio, said that after "deep" reflection and after talking with his family, it was time to abandon his political aspirations, without making specific mention of the affair he had with Santos-Aviles.

"After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district," Gonzales said.

"Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful," he added.

Accused of "abuse of power," "sexual abuse" and "discrimination"

Last month, images showing sexual text messages that the Republican representative sent to Santos-Aviles some time ago were disclosed. This led Gonzales, who is married and has six children, to receive pressure from both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party to leave Congress.

The woman, who served as an aide to Gonzales, set herself on fire on Sept. 13, 2025, in her home and died a day later. She was married and had one child.

The House Ethics Committee has already initiated an investigation into Gonzales for his conduct, possibly having committed crimes such as "sexual abuse" and "discrimination." Similarly, Santos-Aviles' widower, Adrian Aviles, has accused him of "abuse of power."