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Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced Thursday evening he will not seek re-election amid a House Ethics investigation into an affair he admitted to having with a former staffer.
Gonzales, a married father of 6, admitted to the affair for the first time during an appearance on a conservative talk radio show on Wednesday – a day after advancing to the GOP primary runoff for his congressional district.
‘At 18, I swore an oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. During my 20 years in the military and three terms in Congress, I have fought for that cause with absolute dedication to the country that I love,’ Gonzales said in a statement.
‘From overcoming the border crisis to taking a stand with my communities after the worst school shooting in Texas’ history, my philosophy has never changed: do as much as you can, and always fight for the greater good,’ he continued.
‘After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,’ he added. ‘Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful.’
‘I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,’ he said on ‘The Joe Pags Show’ Wednesday night. ‘Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever.’
The House Ethics Committee also launched an investigation into Gonzales on Wednesday to determine if he engaged in sexual misconduct with a female member of his staff and whether he doled out special favors or privileges as a result.
The former staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, died after setting herself on fire outside her home late last year.
House GOP leaders called on the embattled representative to drop his re-election bid.
‘The Ethics Committee has announced an investigation into Congressman Tony Gonzales’s conduct, and we urge them to act expeditiously. Congressman Gonzales has said he will fully cooperate with the investigation,’ Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other top Republicans said in a statement this week.
‘We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues. In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election,’ they added.
Gonzales’ departure paves the way for challenger Brandon Herrera to take the nomination. Herrera narrowly edged Gonzales by a 43.33% – 41.73% margin in Texas’ GOP primary for the 23rd congressional district on Tuesday, causing a runoff due to neither candidate earning 50% of the vote.
Herrera called his opponent’s withdrawal from the race the ‘appropriate decision.’
‘I appreciate Tony Gonzales for making the appropriate decision,’ Herrera wrote on X. ‘I look forward to being the voice of TX23 that our district deserves. From the border, to oil theft, water rights, data centers, and many other issues. It’s an honor to be chosen and together we will make Texas proud.’
Gonzales initially said he would not step down in the face of the accusations, telling reporters in late February ‘what you’ve seen is not all the facts.’
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Elizabeth Elkindcontributed to this report.
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