Texas Congressman Quits After Affair Drama Gets Hotter Than House Floor
KEY POINTS
- •After admitting to an affair with former staffer Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, Tony Gonzales announced he won’t seek re-election.
- •Gonzales’ announcement came after Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders urged him to drop out following a House Ethics investigation.
- •The Texas 23rd District seat now faces an open battleground for the November runoff between Brandon Herrera and Katy Padilla Stout.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, the man who put the 'brief' in brief tenure, announced Thursday he won’t seek re-election—moments after Speaker Mike Johnson and the GOP squad told him to 'just drop it.' This Austin-to-El Paso district drama ignited after Gonzales admitted to an affair with a former staffer, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, whose September 2025 death by self-immolation turned his political career into a fiery mess. The House Ethics Committee started sniffing around right after Gonzales survived his March 3 primary but now faces a runoff against Brandon Herrera, who’s already eager for Gonzales to resign ASAP. Meanwhile, Gonzales swears he’ll soldier on with the 'same commitment,' presumably ignoring Twitter threads roasting his 'lapse in judgment.'
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(1 of 3)Tony Gonzales treating his Congress seat like a Tinder date: ghosted by ethics, set on fire by scandals, and dodging the exit like it’s hot lava.
GOP leadership went full 'nice guys finish last' by swiftly booting their own over an affair that scandalized harder than reality TV.
Forget debating bills—Texas’ 23rd District turned into the hottest soap opera since Dallas, starring fire, heartbreak, and political fugitive Tony Gonzales.
Source: Axios | Published: 3/6/2026 | Author: Madalyn Mendoza
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