SAN ANTONIO (Talk1370.com) -- Under mounting pressure from Republican leadership, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales announced Thursday night that he will no longer seek re-election in 2026.
Gonzales' decision follows his recent public admission of an affair with a former staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, who tragically 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 (R-TX) said in a statement posted to social media. "Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful. God has a plan for all of us."
While GOP leaders had not initially demanded his immediate resignation, they strongly urged the 23rd Congressional District representative to withdraw from the upcoming race.
Gonzales's announcement comes just one day after he confessed to the relationship during an appearance on “The Joe Pags Show.”
“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 said in the interview.
The revelation of the affair and Santos-Aviles's death has also triggered a formal investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Ethics.