US congressman ends re-election bid after admitting affair with aide

A US congressman has withdrawn from his re-election race after admitting to an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide.

Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas had faced calls from the Republican party leadership as well as others in congress to end his re-election bid.

His former aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, took her own life at her home in Uvalde in September 2025, medical examiners ruled.

In a statement posted to X, Mr Gonzales said: “After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election.”

The move is the latest in a quickly-changing situation that stunned Capitol Hill and resulted in a House Ethics Committee investigation into his conduct.

Mr Gonzales’s decision to bow out of the race appears to clear the field. On Tuesday, he had been forced into a May run-off against Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and YouTube gun-rights influencer who narrowly lost to him in the 2024 primary.

House speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican leadership had earlier urged Mr Gonzales to withdraw from re-election after he acknowledged a relationship that has upturned the political world in his home state and in Washington.

Mr Johnson, majority leader Steve Scalise, whip Tom Emmer, and Republican conference chairwoman Lisa McClain in a statement: “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.”

Mr Johnson has been under enormous pressure from his own party legislators to take action, and several Republicans have already called for Mr Gonzales to step aside.

Representative Anna Paulina Luna has introduced two resolutions to punish Mr Gonzales. The first seeks to remove him from his assignments on the House Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, while the second seeks to censure him.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, meanwhile, said he would support expelling Mr Gonzales from the House of Representatives, a rare step that requires a two-thirds vote from the chamber.

Republican leaders notably did not call for Mr Gonzales to resign from office as they struggle to maintain their slim majority in the US House, which they hold by only a handful of seats.

Their move came after Mr Gonzales, appearing on the Joe Pags Show, was asked whether he had a relationship with Ms Santos-Aviles.

The 35-year-old died after a fire in the back yard of her home in Uvalde, Texas. The Bexar County medical examiner’s office later ruled her death a suicide.

Mr Gonzales said: “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.”

The congressman, now in his third term, had said he would not step down in response to the allegations, telling reporters recently that there will be opportunities for all the details and facts to come out.

Mr Gonzales, a father-of-six, first won his seat in 2020 after retiring from a 20-year career in the Navy that included time in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the interview broadcast on Wednesday, Mr Gonzales said he had not spoken to Ms Santos-Aviles since June 2024. She died in September 2025.

“I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing, and in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else,” Mr Gonzales said.

Mr Gonzales went on to say he had reconciled with his wife, Angel, and has asked God to forgive him. He also said he looked forward to the Ethics Committee investigation.

Mr Johnson and Republican leadership urged that committee to “act expeditiously”.

Under House ethics rules, legislators may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House under their supervision.