Tony Gonzales Drops Out of Reelection Runoff After Affair Scandal
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales has exited his re-election runoff after a scandal with a former aide muddied his campaign.
Gonzales released a brief statement announcing his decision to step down, without acknowledging his affair with a former staffer, who later committed suicide.
“At age 18, I took an oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. During my 20 years in the military and three terms in Congress, I have fought for this cause with absolute dedication to the country I love,” he said.
After saying he “always fought for the common good,” citing his commitment to border security and his work after the Uvalde school shooting, Gonzales said he decided to step down after “deep reflection.”
“After deep consideration and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I have always had to my district. During the remainder of my term, I will continue to fight for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful,” he concluded.
Gonzales quit after admitting to having an affair with a senior assistant before she doused herself in gasoline and set herself on fire, according to Breitbart News on Thursday:
Gonzales, who has repeatedly refused to resign, admitted as much during a radio interview on The Joe Pags Show on March 4, a day after voters went to the polls for the Republican primary in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. With 99 percent of the votes counted, Gonzales finished behind challenger Brandon Herrera, receiving about 41.7 percent of the vote to Herrera’s 43.3 percent, setting up a May 26 runoff.
Gonzales said he “made a mistake,” had an “error in judgment” and that there was “a lack of faith,” adding that he took “full responsibility for these actions,” referring to a relationship with Regina Santos-Aviles, a regional district director in his office who died in September 2025 after pouring gasoline on herself and setting herself on fire in the backyard of her Uvalde home, in Texas.
Gonzales admitted to the affair after repeatedly denying and rejecting reports of their relationship.
In September of last year, Regina Santos-Aviles, 35, who was the Gonzales Regional District director, died after apparently setting herself on fire at her home in Uvalde, Texas. Her family insisted at the time that she had not intentionally started the fire and did not want to kill herself. Like the New York Post noted at the time:
Authorities have not said whether she deliberately started the fatal fire, but Uvalde police said they do not suspect anyone else of involvement in her death or that foul play was involved.
Despite reports of an apparent self-immolation, his family remained adamant that whatever happened was accidental.
Santos-Aviles was alone when the fire broke out, home surveillance footage obtained by investigators showed.
His last words were “I don’t want to die,” according to a family member. She leaves behind an eight-year-old son and a husband, from whom she has been separated for several months. Several anonymous sources told the Daily Mail that she was romantically involved with Gonzales after joining his team in November 2021.
Multiple sources confirmed that Gonzales, a married father of six, did not attend Regina’s funeral when it took place on September 25.
A source told Daily Mail that Regina’s husband, Adrien Aviles, knew about the affair at the time of her death:
Aviles was frequently seen at his side, including during Elon Musk’s high-profile tour of the border in September 2023. At the time, Eagle Pass was considered the epicenter of the border crisis.
Aviles and her husband had separated after learning of the affair this year, a source shared, but continued to co-parent their eight-year-old son.
Adrian Aviles, who runs a CCTV company, had previously installed cameras at Regina’s home, which filmed her pouring gasoline on herself before setting herself on fire. The Uvalde Police Department then turned over this footage to the Texas Department of Public Safety crime lab for review.
“Regina Santos-Aviles was alone in her backyard when the fire broke out, ultimately causing significant injuries and requiring her transport to the emergency room,” Uvalde police said in a statement. Daily Mail. “At this stage of the investigation, we have no information to suggest that anyone else was involved.”
