Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced Thursday night that he will drop his bid for re-election but will serve out the rest of his term in Congress following a tumultuous set of weeks for the congressman, who admitted having had an affair with an aide 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," Gonzales said in statement on X.
NBC News has asked Gonzales' congressional office for additional comment.
Republican leadership rebuked Gonzales earlier Thursday, with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who leads a razor-thin GOP majority in the House, calling on him to retire at the end of his term but not resign entirely.
Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain urged the Ethics Committee in a joint statement Thursday to “act expeditiously.”
“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues. In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election,” they said.
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., echoed the statement, saying: “Tony should withdraw from the runoff and allow the Ethics process to move forward while focusing on his family and serving his constituents for the remainder of his term.”
The House Ethics Committee announced Wednesday that it would open an investigation.
A different body, the Office of Congressional Conduct, led an investigation into Gonzales, and its results were set to be delivered to the Ethics Committee on Wednesday. The office could not send the results earlier because the investigation was completed within 60 days of Gonzales’ primary in Texas.
Whether or not the results of the Ethics Committee’s probe will be published will come down to when it is completed. The committee investigates only sitting lawmakers, so the investigation could come to an abrupt halt if it is still underway when Gonzales’ term ends.
Gonzales was running for re-election against pro-gun candidate Brandon Herrera. Neither of them won more than 50% of the vote in the primary Tuesday, forcing Gonzales into a runoff that had been scheduled for May 26.
Herrera's campaign manager, Kimmie Gonzalez, responded with a statement from the candidate on Friday.
“I appreciate Tony Gonzales for making the appropriate decision," Herrera's statement said. "I look forward to being the voice of TX23 that our district deserves — from the border, to oil theft, water rights, data centers, and many other issues. It’s an honor to be chosen and together we will make Texas proud.”
Gonzales appeared in a podcast interview Wednesday to admit the affair with the former aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, saying: “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 then added that he and his wife have “reconciled.”
NBC News has reported that Gonzales and Santos-Aviles exchanged sexual texts in 2024. Santos-Aviles’ widower, Adrian Aviles, verified the texts.
Gonzales’ decision to serve out the rest of his term will be crucial for House Republicans, who have been bleeding members this Congress. They hold only a four-seat majority over Democrats, which means they can afford to lose only one member on party-line votes.
