Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced Monday that he plans to retire from Congress, after facing mounting scrutiny over multiple allegations of sexual misconduct involving former staffers, including an affair with an aide who later died by suicide.
“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,” Gonzales wrote in a statement on X. “It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.”
Gonzales is the second member of Congress to announce plans to step down while facing allegations of sexual misconduct in the span of a few hours. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., also said he would leave the House after he was accused of sexual misconduct. Both congressmen are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and are the subject of an extremely rare move to expel them from the chamber entirely.
Congressional rules prohibit sexual relationships between lawmakers and their staff. A House Ethics Committee investigation was launched in March to examine whether Gonzales engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a former congressional aide, Regina Santos-Aviles. After initially denying wrongdoing, he acknowledged the affair and described it as a lapse in judgment. The investigation is also reviewing whether he may have shown favoritism or abused his position in connection with that relationship.
“I made a mistake and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said in an interview on “The Joe Pags Show” last month. He added that he “had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing.”
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A second former female staffer also reportedly accused Gonzales of sending repeated sexually explicit messages and pressuring her for nude photos during his 2020 campaign. The congressman has not publicly addressed any of these allegations.
The controversy had already derailed Gonzales’ political future. He previously announced in March that he would not seek reelection after pressure from Republican leadership.
Gonzales, a father of six, was first elected in 2020, to represent Texas’ sprawling 23rd Congressional District, which stretches from San Antonio to El Paso along the U.S.-Mexico border. He has built a reputation as a sometimes independent voice within the GOP conference, breaking with party leadership on several high-profile issues, including gun legislation following the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, which lies within his district.
Those decisions at times drew criticism from conservative colleagues and primary challengers. Despite those tensions, Gonzales secured reelection in 2024 and remained in office.
His retirement now creates uncertainty for Republicans seeking to maintain control of the seat, particularly as Democrats view the Texas district as a potential pickup opportunity.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at CNN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.