Republican congressman Tony Gonzales has dropped his reelection bid after admitting having an affair with a workers member who later died by suicide.
Saying his resolution, Gonzales wrote on X: “At 18, I swore an oath to defend our nation in opposition to all enemies, overseas and home. Throughout my 20 years within the army and three phrases in Congress, I’ve fought for that trigger with absolute dedication to the nation that I really like.
“From overcoming the border disaster to taking a stand with my communities after the worst faculty taking pictures in Texas’ historical past, my philosophy has by no means modified: do as a lot as you may, and all the time struggle for the better good.
“After deep reflection and with the assist of my loving household, I’ve determined to not search re-election whereas serving out the remainder of this Congress with the identical dedication I’ve all the time needed to my district. By the remainder of my time period, I’ll proceed combating for my constituents, for whom I’m eternally grateful.”
Gonzales – a married father of six – acknowledged his affair with a former aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, for the primary time in an interview on Wednesday.
Santos-Aviles, 35, died in September 2025 after setting herself on hearth within the yard of her dwelling in Uvalde, Texas. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Workplace later dominated her dying a suicide.
Gonzales’s resolution comes after the Home Ethics Committee stated on Wednesday that it had opened an investigation into whether or not he had engaged in sexual misconduct towards an worker, and whether or not he discriminated unfairly by dishing out particular favors or privileges.
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