Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales is defending his seat in a hotly watched Texas primary as published reports allege he had an affair with a former aide who later died by self-immolation. Gonzales says he will not resign, calls the claims politically motivated and says more facts will emerge. The San Antonio Express-News reported it obtained text messages alleging the affair; the AP has not independently verified them. The aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, died in September 2025 and the medical examiner ruled the death a suicide.
GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales Faces Tight Texas Primary Amid Allegations Over Aide's Death
FILE - Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference Dec. 7, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas entered a high-stakes primary as he seeks to hold his seat while facing calls to resign amid published reports that allege an affair with a former aide who later died by self-immolation.
Allegations and Campaign Pressure
Gonzales, a three-term congressman who has said he will not step down, is competing in the nation’s first major primary contest of 2026 as pressure mounts from fellow House Republicans. Last month, news outlets published what they said were explicit text messages between Gonzales and former staffer Regina Ann Santos-Aviles. The San Antonio Express-News reported it obtained messages in which Santos-Aviles wrote that she had an affair with Gonzales; The Associated Press has not independently verified copies of those messages.
Political Stakes
The contest is a rematch against GOP challenger Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and YouTube gun-rights influencer who lost to Gonzales by fewer than 400 votes in the 2024 primary. Former President Donald Trump endorsed Gonzales in December, and Gonzales joined several Texas Republicans for Trump’s recent visit to the state’s coast.
Brandon Herrera, a Republican congressional candidate for Texas' 23rd District, speaks during an event, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, in Somerset, Texas. (AP Photo/Brenda Bazán)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Gonzales's Response and Background
Gonzales, a father of six and a retired Navy officer, has said he will remain in office and has posted on social media that he was being blackmailed and targeted by "coordinated political attacks." He first won the seat in 2020 after a 20-year U.S. Navy career that included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. His 2020 victory defied Democratic expectations in the sprawling district along the U.S.-Mexico border that runs from western San Antonio to El Paso.
Death Of The Former Aide
Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, 35, died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her Uvalde home. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled her death a suicide. An attorney for Adrian Aviles, Santos-Aviles’ husband, said the husband discovered the alleged affair before his wife's death.
“There will be opportunities for all of the details and facts to come out,” Gonzales said in Washington last week. “What you’ve seen is not all the facts.”
The situation is developing and has created both personal and political fallout for Gonzales as he faces voters and challenges within his own party.
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