Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) announced Monday he plans to resign from Congress on Tuesday, becoming the latest member to exit the chamber amid a cascade of sexual misconduct scandals engulfing lawmakers in both parties.
"There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas," Gonzales posted on X. NOTUS first reported the news.
The announcement comes on the heels of Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.) announcing he will step down from his seat in the wake of separate sexual assault allegations.
The decision to resign came as bipartisan expulsion resolutions targeting Gonzales and Swalwell were set to hit the floor in coming days, with a growing number of members in both parties saying they planned to support the measures.
Gonzales' fall from grace unfolded rapidly over the past several months. Allegations surfaced that he had an affair with former regional district director Regina Santos-Aviles, who later died by suicide in October. Santos-Aviles was found critically burned near her home in Uvalde, Texas in September 2025, which the Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide.
Text messages obtained by 24Sight News from a forensic extraction of Santos-Aviles' phone showed Gonzales making explicit sexual requests to the staffer, who repeatedly pushed back, including writing "this is going too far, boss" in response to the Texas Republican.
Gonzales publicly acknowledged the relationship in early March, saying he had made "a mistake" and "a lapse in judgment," and that he had reconciled with his wife. He dropped his reelection bid days later under pressure from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and GOP leadership. Last week, a second former campaign employee came forward with text evidence that Gonzales had been sexually inappropriate with her as well.
Gun rights activist and YouTuber Brandon Herrera is set to be the Republican nominee for the seat in November.
