Tony Gonzales #
Introduction #
Tony Gonzales, the Republican congressman who represented Texas’s 23rd district from January 2021, resigned from the House in April 2026 rather than face a potential expulsion vote. His downfall followed allegations, first reported by the San Antonio Express-News, that he had a sexual relationship with a staffer, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, who later died by suicide — allegations he denied for weeks before admitting the affair in March 2026 — and a second former staffer’s accusation that he sent her sexually explicit messages. He resigned the same day as Democrat Eric Swalwell, who faced separate misconduct allegations.
Background Information #
Born Ernest Anthony Gonzales II on October 10, 1980, in San Antonio, Texas, Gonzales earned degrees from Chaminade University of Honolulu, Excelsior University, Georgetown University, and American Public University. He and his wife, Angel, have six children.
A Navy veteran from 1999 to 2019, Gonzales retired as a master chief petty officer; as a cryptologic technician he flew aircrew missions on EP-3E aircraft supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and later served as a Department of Defense fellow in Senator Marco Rubio’s office.
Gonzales won the seat in 2020 after three-term incumbent Will Hurd retired; endorsed by Hurd and President Donald Trump, he narrowly defeated Raul Reyes in the primary after a recount and beat Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones with 50.6% in an upset. He won re-election in 2022 with 55.87% and again in 2024, surviving a close primary from gun-rights influencer Brandon Herrera — winning the runoff by fewer than 400 votes before taking the general election with 62.3%.
A moderate Republican, Gonzales was censured by the Texas Republican Party in 2023 for his votes for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the Respect for Marriage Act, and one of 18 Republicans who voted against Jim Jordan’s speaker nomination all three times.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #
On February 17, 2026, the Express-News published text messages allegedly from Santos-Aviles to another staffer, in which she wrote that she had an affair with Gonzales in 2024. Her husband, Adrian Aviles, said she confessed on May 29, 2024, a day after Gonzales’s primary victory, and the relationship lasted two to three weeks before he caught her; after he confronted Gonzales and his campaign, his wife was treated “like a pariah” at work. The couple later separated, and she fell into depression.
Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her home in Uvalde, Texas; her death was ruled a suicide. A lawyer for her husband called the affair an “open secret” not believed to have played a role in her death, and her mother said her last words were “I don’t want to die.” Gonzales did not attend her funeral.
On February 23, the Express-News published alleged texts from Gonzales to Santos-Aviles — including one sent at 12.15am on 9 May reading “Send me a sexy pic” — in which he reportedly asked about her favorite sexual positions and fantasized about having sex with her. Gonzales blamed primary opponent Brandon Herrera for the story’s publication and had previously called the allegations a political smear.
On March 4, 2026, Gonzales admitted for the first time, in an interview with Joe Pags, that he had an affair with Santos-Aviles. The same day, Representative Anna Paulina Luna filed two House resolutions to censure him or strip his committee assignments, and on March 5, House GOP leadership issued a joint statement calling on him to withdraw; later that day, Gonzales ended his campaign.
On April 6, a second former staffer accused Gonzales of sending her sexually explicit messages; in texts published by the Express-News, he reportedly asked her for nude photos and asked “What kind of panties do you wear?”. After Axios reported that Luna planned to force an expulsion vote against him and Swalwell within days, Gonzales resigned on April 13, effective the following day.
Public Reaction and Consequences #
Gonzales initially refused to resign. “There will be an opportunity for all the details and facts to come out. What you’ve seen is not all the facts. And there will be ample time for all of that to come out,” he told reporters on February 24, 2026. Republicans including Thomas Massie, Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna, and Nancy Mace demanded he step down, following calls from Texas Republicans Brandon Gill and Chip Roy. “America deserves better,” said Gill, endorsing Gonzales’s main opponent. “Tony should drop out of the race.” Mace said she had introduced a resolution to force the House ethics committee to release its records of sexual harassment allegations against members of Congress.
Speaker Mike Johnson said the accusations “must be taken seriously” but stopped short of calling for resignation. The Express-News revoked its endorsement, and the White House, which had endorsed him in the primary, declined to comment.
In the March 3 primary, Gonzales placed second to Herrera, 41.8% to 43.3%, sending the race to a runoff in May 2026. “I’m glad that Eric Swalwell is leaving. I’m glad that Tony Gonzales is leaving,” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said after the resignations.
Current Status #
Gonzales holds no public office as of mid-2026. He resigned on April 13, 2026, effective April 14, ending a tenure that began on January 3, 2021; his resignation triggers a special election for the remainder of the 119th Congress. NBC News reported that the Office of Congressional Conduct concluded an investigation but was not due to report until after the primary. Announcing his departure, Gonzales wrote on X: “There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.”
Impact on Their Career/Life #
The allegations ended a five-year congressional career and a faltering re-election campaign. Gonzales, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, had spent years fending off primary challenges from the right; his campaign collapsed in March, and his seat emptied on April 14.
His case was part of a broader April 2026 reckoning: Gonzales and Swalwell both resigned rather than face expulsion votes, while Florida Republican Cory Mills remained in office despite more scandals. Mother Jones reported that Mills argued he did not “fall into the category of Swalwell and Gonzales” because he was not married and had not been accused of sexually harassing his own staff.