WASHINGTON, March 5 - Senior Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday called on Representative Tony Gonzales to end his bid for reelection following an announcement that a congressional ethics panel will investigate allegations tied to his conduct with a former staff member who later died by suicide.
In a joint statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson and three members of his leadership team said, "Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for reelection." The statement was co-signed by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, No. 3 Republican Tom Emmer and House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain.
The leadership statement added that Gonzales has agreed to cooperate fully with the House Ethics Committee probe into what they called "very serious allegations." Gonzales' office was not immediately available for comment.
The Texas Republican has acknowledged making a "mistake" and described the matter as a "lapse in judgment." He is also the subject of potential legislative action by a fellow Republican, Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida. Luna filed two measures on Wednesday seeking to censure Gonzales and to remove his committee assignments.
The leadership appeal comes after Gonzales, 45, failed to secure an outright victory in the primary, forcing a May runoff against Republican challenger Brandon Herrera. Herrera, a gun rights advocate who received an endorsement from the House Freedom Caucus, finished the initial contest with Gonzales separated by fewer than 1,000 votes. In an earlier 2024 matchup referenced by campaign records, Gonzales prevailed over Herrera in the primary by a margin of only a few hundred votes.
On Wednesday the House Ethics Committee said it would investigate whether Gonzales "engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employee in his congressional office and/or discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges." The inquiry follows publication of explicit text messages by the San Antonio Express-News between Gonzales and his then-staff member, Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide last September.
Following the reporting and the ethics panel announcement, several other House Republicans have publicly called for Gonzales to resign or to withdraw from the upcoming campaign. The committee's investigation and the parallel legislative measures create multiple ongoing uncertainties for Gonzales' political standing and committee participation.
As the ethics review proceeds and the runoff approaches, Republican leaders have framed their request for withdrawal as a step to address the seriousness of the allegations while the institution pursues its investigation. The outcome of the committee review and any internal House actions remain unresolved.
Contextual note: This report reflects statements and actions disclosed by House leadership, the House Ethics Committee and individual members, as well as reporting on the publication of messages and the subsequent death of a former staff member. Further developments may follow as the committee's inquiry continues.