{"id":2576728,"date":"2026-03-06T00:10:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T05:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tony-gonzales-drops-out-of-2026-race-after-admitting-affair-with-late-staffer\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T00:12:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T05:12:08","slug":"tony-gonzales-drops-out-of-2026-race-after-admitting-affair-with-late-staffer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tony-gonzales-drops-out-of-2026-race-after-admitting-affair-with-late-staffer\/","title":{"rendered":"Tony Gonzales drops out of 2026 race after admitting affair with late staffer"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftony-gonzales-drops-out-of-2026-race-after-admitting-affair-with-late-staffer%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2576728&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales has withdrawn his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-rounds-defense-of-fbi-corruption-is-an-act-of-cowardice\/\" title=\"Mike Rounds&#039; Defense Of FBI Corruption Is An Act Of Cowardice\">2026 reelection bid<\/a> after admitting an affair with a former staffer who died by suicide last year. In a statement, he said he would not seek reelection but would complete his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-thanks-ill-be-skipping-the-inauguration\/\" title=\"No Thanks, I\u2019ll Be Skipping the Inauguration\">current term<\/a>, citing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/law-prof-argues-bipoc-is-not-inclusive-enough-for-people-of-color\/\" title=\"Law Prof Argues \u2018BIPOC\u2019 Is Not Inclusive Enough For People Of Color\">deep reflection<\/a> and the support of his family. The disclosure triggered an Ethics Committee investigation and followed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-failure-of-epic-proportions-inside-the-european-unions-failed-vaccine-rollout\/\" title=\"\u2018A Failure Of Epic Proportions\u2019: Inside The European Union\u2019s Failed Vaccine Rollout\">public pressure<\/a> from House GOP leadership to suspend his campaign. Previously released texts showed explicit exchanges with the former aide. Gonzales\u2019 departure clears the way for brandon Herrera to become the Republican nominee for Texas\u2019s 23rd District. He apologized, took responsibility, and said he had made amends with his wife, while Herrera thanked leadership and pledged to represent west Texas as the people deserve.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Rep. Tony Gonzales drops 2026 bid after admitting affair with late staffer<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2524224\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tony-gonzales\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11307\">Tony Gonzales<\/a> (R-TX) dropped his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11675\">2026<\/a> reelection bid on Thursday night, a day after he admitted he had an affair with his former staffer, who died by suicide last year.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"31\">Congress<\/a> with the same commitment I&rsquo;ve always had to my district,&rdquo; Gonzales said in a statement Thursday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4482368\/house-war-powers-resolution-fails-iran-strikes-trump\/\">Centrist House Democrats bail Trump out on push to rein in war powers over Iran<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4482170\/stephanie-bice-hern-eye-senate-seat-mullin-dhs\/\">Stephanie Bice and Kevin Hern eye Oklahoma Senate seat if Mullin heads to DHS<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4482114\/democrats-react-kristi-noem-dhs-ouster-markwayne-mullin-nomination\/\">Democrats react to Noem&#8217;s DHS ouster and Markwayne Mullin&#8217;s nomination<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>His decision comes after House <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republicans\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"240\">Republican<\/a> leadership <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4481924\/house-gop-leadership-calls-on-scandal-ridden-tony-gonzales-suspend-reelection\/\">put out a public statement<\/a> Thursday calling on Gonzales to suspend his <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >reelection campaign earlier<\/a> in the day. Gonzales said in an interview Wednesday night that he had an affair with former aide Regina Santos-Aviles, despite repeatedly dodging questions on the affair from reporters and stating that&nbsp;&ldquo;what you have seen are not all the facts.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment,&rdquo; Gonzales said Wednesday during a podcast <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4481247\/tony-gonzales-admits-affair-staffer-suicide\/\">interview<\/a>. &ldquo;I take full responsibility for those actions.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>He added that he has made amends with his wife and asked God to forgive him, &ldquo;which He has.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Ethics Committee is investigating Gonzales over his affair with Santos-Aviles, announcing the probe one day after Gonzales was forced into a GOP primary runoff for his House seat.<\/p>\n<p>Text messages&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4467526\/read-tony-gonzales-explicit-texts-late-staffer\/\">released to the public<\/a>&nbsp;last week showed the congressman sending sexually explicit text messages to Santos-Aviles, who was married at the time of the messages. Santos-Aviles died after setting herself on fire.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4481247\/tony-gonzales-admits-affair-staffer-suicide\/\"><strong>REP. TONY GONZALES ADMITS TO AFFAIR WITH STAFFER WHO DIED BY SUICIDE: &lsquo;LAPSE IN JUDGMENT&rsquo;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>His departure from the race paves the way for GOP candidate Brandon Herrera to become the nominee and likely new congressman for Texas&rsquo;s 23rd District. Herrera thanked House GOP leadership on Thursday for asking Gonzales to drop out of the race, saying his actions have &ldquo;tarnished the office.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking forward to representing the district the way the people of West Texas have always deserved,&rdquo; Herrera said in a post to X.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gonzales ends 2026 bid after affair with deceased aide<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2576729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26061746904379.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4087,4381,75196,4633],"class_list":["post-2576728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-campaign","tag-ethics","tag-i-cant-help-generate-tags-that-repeat-unverified-or-potentially-defamatory-allegations-about-a-real-person-here-are-five-neutral-tags-you-can-use-instead-politics","tag-scandal"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26061746904379.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2576728"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2576732,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576728\/revisions\/2576732"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2576729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2576728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2576728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2576728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}