The embattled 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 to having 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 posted to social media.
NBC News has reached out to Gonzales’ congressional office for additional comment.
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.
Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain released a joint statement Thursday that urged the Ethics Committee 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,” the congressional leaders said in their joint statement.
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson 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 on Wednesday announced that it would open an investigation into the congressman.
The committee’s investigation came after a different body, the Office of Congressional Conduct, led an investigation into Gonzales. Those results were set to be delivered to the Ethics Committee Wednesday. The office could not send the results earlier because it was completed within 60 days of Gonzales’ Texas primary.
Whether or not the results of the Ethics Committee’s probe will be published will come down to when their report is completed. The committee only investigates sitting lawmakers, so the investigation could come to an abrupt halt if it is still ongoing when Gonzales’ term comes to an end.
Gonzales was running for re-election to his seat against pro-gun candidate Brandon Herrera. Neither of them gained more than 50% of the vote in a Tuesday primary, forcing Gonzales into a runoff that had been scheduled for May 26.
Gonzales during a podcast interview on Wednesday appeared to admit the affair with his 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 previously reported that Gonzales and Santos-Aviles had 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 Republicans can afford to lose only one member on party-line votes.
