Texas Republican Tony Gonzales to step down from Congress
Gonzales announced his resignation Monday ahead of an expulsion vote over an affair with a staffer who died by suicide.
11:27 PM
Representative Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, announced Monday he would step down from Congress effective when the chamber returns on Tuesday, citing an extramarital affair with a staffer and facing a bipartisan push for his expulsion.
"There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas," Gonzales wrote on social media.
Gonzales, a third-term congressman whose district stretches from San Antonio to El Paso, had acknowledged the affair last month after the House ethics committee opened an investigation into his conduct. The staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, died by suicide in September 2025 after setting herself on fire.
Text messages viewed by news outlets documented Gonzales's pursuit of Santos-Aviles in 2024. In one exchange, he asked her for a "sexy pic," to which she responded, "This is going too far boss." In another text with a colleague, Santos-Aviles wrote, "I had affair with our boss and I'm fine."
Gonzales had already withdrawn from his reelection campaign in March after the details of the relationship became public, following pressure from House GOP leadership. He faced bipartisan calls for his resignation when the affair came to light.
The House ethics committee had indicated it would investigate whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct. Bipartisan leaders of the committee said at the time that a panel would examine his conduct with the aide.
Gonzales's announcement came hours after Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell of California announced his own resignation from Congress following multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against him. Swalwell had suspended his campaign for governor of California over the weekend before deciding to leave the House.
Several members of Congress across party lines had indicated they would pursue votes to expel both Gonzales and Swalwell from the House over allegations of sexual relationships with members of their staffs.