Texas Congressman Faces Bipartisan Calls to Resign Amid Affair Allegations

A scandal engulfing Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales has exposed deep fissures within the Republican caucus and raised troubling questions about conduct and accountability in the halls of Congress.

Representative Gonzales, a 45-year-old Republican representing Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, now faces mounting calls for his resignation from fellow party members following allegations of an extramarital affair with a former staffer who took her own life last September. The tragedy has left behind grieving family members and a trail of text messages that paint a disturbing picture of workplace conduct.

Regina Santos-Aviles, 35, died by suicide at her Uvalde, Texas, home in September, leaving behind a young son. Her husband, Adrian Aviles, has come forward with text message exchanges he says demonstrate an inappropriate relationship between his late wife and her congressional employer.

The messages, published last week by the San Antonio Express-News, allegedly show Gonzales making sexual requests of Santos-Aviles, including asking for provocative photographs and inquiring about intimate preferences. In one exchange, Santos-Aviles reportedly responded to the congressman’s advances by writing, “This is too far, Tony,” and later, “This is going too far boss.”

Gonzales, a married father of six children, has categorically denied having an affair with Santos-Aviles. He has refused to confirm or deny the authenticity of the published messages, telling reporters this week, “I am not going to resign. I work every day for the people of Texas, and there will be an opportunity for all the details and all the facts to come out. What you’ve seen is not all the facts.”

The congressman has characterized the allegations as attempted blackmail, stating last week that it was “disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death.” Adrian Aviles disputes this characterization, saying he released the messages specifically to counter claims that he was lying or attempting extortion.

“Tony abused his power,” Aviles told the Express-News. “He should have held himself to a higher standard as a congressional leader. He’s a predator. He took advantage of a very vulnerable woman.”

The political fallout has been swift and significant. Representatives Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky have all publicly called for Gonzales’s immediate resignation. Two fellow Texas Republicans, Chip Roy and Brandon Gill, have urged him to withdraw from his reelection campaign, stopping short of demanding he leave office immediately.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has taken a more cautious approach, suggesting Monday that Republicans should “wait for more of the facts to come out” before making final judgments. This measured response reflects the precarious political mathematics facing House Republicans, who currently maintain only a four-seat majority over Democrats. A Gonzales resignation would trigger a special election that could further narrow that already thin margin.

The situation presents Republican leadership with an uncomfortable dilemma: balancing demands for accountability and ethical standards against the practical realities of governing with a razor-thin majority. As this matter continues to unfold, it serves as a reminder that personal conduct and political responsibility remain inseparable in public service.

The facts of this case are still emerging, and the American people deserve a full accounting of what transpired. What remains clear is that a young woman has died, a family has been shattered, and serious questions about congressional conduct demand serious answers.