The embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales 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 to having an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Republican leadership rebuked Gonzales earlier on Thursday, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who leads a razor-thin GOP majority in the lower chamber, calling on him to retire at the end of his term but not resign from the role entirely. more in first comments 👇👇

The embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales 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 to having an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Republican leadership rebuked Gonzales earlier on Thursday, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who leads a razor-thin GOP majority in the lower chamber, calling on him to retire at the end of his term but not resign from the role entirely. more in first comments 👇👇

by

ADVERTISEMENT

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.

Leave a Comment