Texas lawmaker urged to resign over alleged affair with staffer

A Texas lawmaker is facing growing calls from within his own party to resign and end his re-election bid after details emerged about his alleged affair with an aide.

Republican Representative Tony Gonzales, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, is facing a challenge from gun rights activist Brandon Herrera in a primary election next week.

Whoever becomes the party's nominee is expected to win in November's congressional election. The district, which runs along the US-Mexico border, is heavily Republican.

Gonzales has denied the affair, but some lawmakers are concerned about sexual text messages between him and married staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide in September.

Warning - this story contains distressing content and discussion of suicide

Gonzales on Tuesday told CBS News, the BBC's partner in the US, and reporters on Capitol Hill that he would not resign.

"I work every day for the people of Texas. There will be an opportunity for all the details and the facts to come out. What you've seen are not all the facts," he said.

He had defended his record on Monday, posting on X that during his six years in Congress "not a single formal complaint" has been levied against his office.

"Now days away from an election, coordinated political attacks reign in. IT WONT WORK. Half way through early voting and the intensity resides w/TG voters. I'd rather be us than them," he posted, referring to himself by his initials.

House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Monday that the allegations against Gonzales are "very serious," but added: "You have to allow investigations to play out."

His party currently holds a slim majority of four votes in the chamber, which already threatens Republicans' ability to pass Trump's legislative agenda. A resignation from Gonzales could affect their work now, even if they regain the seat in nine months.

Troy Nehls, also a Republican from Texas, told reporters he didn't want Gonzales to step down, saying: "We can't afford him to resign."

Some of the most well-known Republicans in the House, including Colorado's Lauren Boebert, though, have said he should resign immediately.

Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina has called the allegations against Gonzales "deeply disturbing" and an "abuse of power".

She also announced on Tuesday that lawmakers have filed a resolution to preserve and publicly release records and reports from all investigations into members of Congress "for sexual harassment and unwelcome sexual advances".

Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, the lead Republican on the bill forcing the justice department to release its files about Jeffrey Epstein, and Representative Anna Paulina Luna on Tuesday joined the call for Gonzales to resign now.

"Where are the other men in the GOP? Trump is infamous for making terrible endorsements - this is one and it should be revoked," Massie posted on X.

Democrats, as well, would like to see him leave, with Representative Teresa Leger Fernández, the chair of the Congressional Democratic Women's Caucus, saying in a statement to Axios: "Rep. Tony Gonzales's actions would result in a termination and investigation in any other workplace."

According to CBS, in text messages from May 2024 Gonzales asked Santos-Aviles to send him a "sexy pic" and asked her sexually explicit questions.

Twice the aide, his Uvalde regional district director, told him he had gone "too far".

The following month, her husband, Adrian Aviles, appeared to send a text from her phone to Gonzales and other staffers that said he had discovered "she's been having an affair on me with your boss Tony Gonzales for some time now".

Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire near her home in Uvalde, Texas. The medical examiner has ruled the death a suicide, according to CBS.

In an interview with CBS, a lawyer for Aviles said that Santos-Aviles' mental health sharply declined following the end of her alleged relationship with the congressman.

"The deterioration of her mental state was exacerbated by the conduct Tony engaged in - the workplace harassment after the discovery of the affair," said Bobby Barrera.

The BBC has contacted Gonzales' office for comment.

Gonzales, a married father of six, has served in the US House of Representatives since January 2021.

He has previously denied having an affair, saying in November that the "rumors are completely untruthful".

Upon seeing the recently released sexually explicit text messages, his opponent Herrera accused him of being "a sexual predator, who abused his position of power and wrecked a family".

Gonzales defeated Herrera by a slim margin in the 2024 race.

• If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide: www.befrienders.org. In the UK, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Readers in the US and Canada can call the 988 suicide helpline or visit its website.