Congressman Tony Gonzales Pulls Plug on Re-Election After Aide's Death

Congressman Tony Gonzales has finally bowed out on his re-election campaign ... just one day after admitting he had an affair with a staffer who died by suicide.

Gonzales, a Texas Republican, announced Thursday night he was dropping out of the GOP primary race against Brandon Herrera ahead of their May 26 runoff election. Hours later, Herrera declared victory and will now move on to the general election for Gonzales' seat in Texas' 23rd District.

In a statement, Gonzales said after deep reflection -- and with the support of his family -- he decided to end his campaign, though he vowed to serve out the remainder of his term.

As you know ... Gonzales came under heavy scrutiny after one of his staffers, Regina Santos-Aviles, died by suicide in September 2025 after setting herself on fire. 

Rumors surfaced that Gonzales -- a married father of 6 children -- had been having an affair with Santos-Aviles, but the congressman publicly denied the allegations. 

The San Antonio Express-News later published text messages from Santos-Aviles acknowledging she had an affair with Gonzales. Additional text exchanges came to light, appearing to show Gonzales asked Santos-Aviles to send him a "sexy pic."

Gonzales finally fessed up to the affair earlier this week on “The Joe Pags Show,” calling it a "mistake" and a "lapse in judgment.”