Texas Republican Representative Tony Gonzales has declared his intention to retire from Congress, stepping down amid a controversy involving an extramarital affair with a former staffer who died tragically last year.
Gonzales made the announcement on Monday through a social media post, stating, "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."
The congressman, a married father of six, had been seeking re-election until his campaign was derailed by allegations of an affair with former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles. Santos-Aviles died in 2025 by suicide, having set herself on fire.
Initially denying the relationship, Gonzales eventually admitted to the affair after explicit text messages between them were leaked to the media. He subsequently withdrew from the re-election race.
Further complicating the scandal, additional reports emerged alleging that Gonzales had sent inappropriate text messages requesting explicit photos from a different staffer.
The announcement comes on the same day that California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell revealed his own plans to resign from Congress amid separate sexual assault allegations, which he has denied.
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