Embattled Rep Tony Gonzales to face runoff race amid affair allegations

A Republican Congressman accused of having an affair with a staffer who has since committed suicide will see his primary race head to a runoff after Tuesday night.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, failed to get more than 50 percent of the vote in his southwest Texas district after dealing with scandal for several weeks.

Gonzales was accused of having an affair and sending sexual messages to a married employee at his Uvalde office, who died after setting herself on fire near her home in September 2025.

Gonzales, married with six children, rejected the allegations and accused the late employee’s husband of attempted blackmail.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, Republican of Texas, is seen at the U.S. Capitol before the House votes to keep the government funded through March, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“In my six years in Congress, not a single official complaint has been filed against my office. With the election just days away, coordinated political attacks reign. THIS DOES NOT WORK. Halfway through early voting, the intensity lies with TG voters. I’d rather be us than them,” he posted on X in late February.

That hasn’t stopped the growing backlash from members of his own party in the House of Representatives, several of whom have called on Gonzales to resign. The Texas Republican rejected those calls.

He is now fighting for his political life against social media influencer Brandon Herrera, who has been endorsed by the conservative campaign arm of the House Freedom Caucus.

Herrera, a gun activist, previously lost to Gonzales in 2024 by fewer than 400 votes. He will face Gonzales again in the runoff after neither secured an outright majority in a four-way Republican primary race.

Fox News Digital learned in the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary race that many fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives privately hoped Gonzales would lose, putting the decision to oust him from the Capitol on his constituents.

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Republican congressional candidate Brandon Herrera speaks during a campaign rally at Constantino S Pizza restaurant in Somerset, Texas on February 26, 2026. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Several had also pointed this out in public comments, telling Fox News Digital they condemned the allegations but said the final decision was up to the people Gonzales represents.

“I think it’s pretty unbecoming that an individual in power would engage in activities like that with his staff. And, you know, I supported his opponent in the last Congress, I supported his opponent in this Congress,” Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital last week, referring to Herrera.

He said Gonzales was entitled to “due process” but accused him of “despicable behavior.”

Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital that the allegations are “extremely concerning” and said, “I think it’s in the hands of the voters of this district right now.” »

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., announced this week that she was forcing a vote on a measure requiring the House Ethics Committee to release information about lawmakers accused of sexually harassing their staff. She also called for Gonzales’ resignation.

However, not all House Republicans are on the same page. The House Republican Party already faces a razor-thin majority that will likely hover between one and two votes for much of the rest of the year.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., announces she will run for governor of South Carolina during a press conference at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, August 4, 2025. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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Retiring Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, cited that margin in saying pushing Gonzales early was a bad idea.

“He’s got a problem here, don’t get me wrong. The optics are horrible,” Nehls told reporters. “But under no circumstances will I resign just yet.”

“The accusations are not enough. If he does this, you have to give the hammer to [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.]”.

Voters in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District will have a second chance to decide on Gonzales in May.

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