Rep. Tony Gonzales drops out of House runoff race after admitting affair with aide

Politics Rep. Tony Gonzales drops out of House runoff race after admitting affair with aide By Caroline Linton Caroline Linton Associate Managing Editor, Politics Caroline Linton is an associate managing editor on the political team for CBSNews.com. She has previously written for The Daily Beast, Newsweek and amNewYork. Read Full Bio Caroline Linton Updated on: March 5, 2026 / 11:29 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales dropped his reelection bid for his Texas congressional district on Thursday, after admitting to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. "After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek reelection while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I've always had to my district," Gonzales said in a statement on X that did not directly mention the scandal that has dogged the three-term congressman in recent weeks. Gonzales was set to face off against hard-right gun activist Brandon Herrera in a GOP primary runoff in May. Herrera will now face Democrat Katy Padilla Stout in November. The 23rd Congressional District, which covers a large swath of the U.S.-Mexico border and West Texas, heavily favors Republicans. Despite calls from Democrats and Republicans to resign, Gonzales had previously insisted he would not resign or drop out of the race. But one day after the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation and he admitted to the affair, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other members of Republican leadership called on him to drop his reelection bid . "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," House GOP leadership said Thursday. Gonzales had previously denied the affair with Regina Santos-Aviles, a former aide who died in September after lighting herself on fire. According to...