Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, alongside other GOP leaders, is urging Congressman Tony Gonzales to step down from his re-election campaign due to his involvement in a scandalous affair with a staffer.

“Leadership has requested Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election,” stated Johnson in a collective announcement with senior House Republicans on Thursday.

Gonzales, who represents Texas, had previously denied any romantic involvement with Regina Aviles, a former staffer who tragically took her own life in September. The Daily Mail initially exposed details of their ill-fated relationship last year.

For several months, rumors have circulated about whether Gonzales would admit to the accusations, which first surfaced in October 2025. The congressman faced increasing calls to resign after explicit text messages between him and Aviles were leaked, revealing inappropriate exchanges.

The revealing messages showed Gonzales, who is married, soliciting inappropriate images from Aviles and inquiring about her sexual preferences.

“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues,” the joint statement concluded.

One day after his primary race on Tuesday, and as calls for his resignation from Republicans and Democrats reached a boiling point, Gonzales admitted to the affair. 

He called it a ‘mistake’ and a ‘lapse in judgement.’ He added: ‘I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has.’ 

The speaker did not say whether Gonzales admitted to the affair during a private talk they had earlier this week before the Texan publicly fessed up to the inappropriate relationship  

Tony Gonzales had an affair with his late staffer, Regina Aviles, pictured above, and initially denied it until fessing up to their relationship on Wednesday

Sexaully charged text messages between Gonzales and his late staffer

His admission came just after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into the Texan’s conduct following a report from the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) indicating ‘substantial reason to believe’ Gonzales was embroiled in the affair. It is against congressional rules for a member to have an affair with a subordinate. 

When pressed about Gonzales’ admission, Johnson didn’t let much slip but admitted it’s ‘not against the law.’

‘I’m not going to get into private conversations,’ Johnson told Punchbowl News. ‘But I’ve told him to be forthright. Apparently now he’s doing that.’ 

When asked whether Gonzales should remain in Congress, given the scandal, the top Republican – and devout Christian – played coy. 

‘Marital infidelity is not against the law,’ Johnson said. 

Reminded that it’s against House rules for a member to have an affair with a staffer, Johnson admitted it was. 

‘Well, of course, yeah. That’s being addressed. There is an investigation at Ethics. The OCC is on it. All those steps have already been taken and apparently were underway.’

‘I’ve always been consistent, whether you’re talking about Republicans or Democrats, we let the processes play out,’ the speaker added. 

Both Democrats and Republicans have called on Gonzales to resign, or at a minimum, drop his bid for reelection. 

Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna of Florida filed a censure resolution to punish Gonzales for his affair with Aviles

Congresswoman Nancy Mace has called on the Texan to resign

Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina accused Gonzales of ‘harassing his own staffer in the middle of the night’ and has called on him to ‘resign immediately and be held fully accountable for what he’s done.’

This week Mace filed a resolution to force the House Ethics Committee to release its reports on sexual misconduct by members. 

However, the House decisively voted to send the resolution to committee – a move that effectively killed Mace’s effort to expose the reports. 

‘I think it’s really disgusting how this institution protects itself,’ Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna of Florida fumed on Wednesday. 

‘We just had a Member of Congress literally sexually harass a woman that then lit herself on fire and you all protected him!’ she decried at a committee hearing. ‘You guys all protected him! My own side, your side.’

This week, Luna filed a censure resolution – one of the most severe punishments in Congress outside of expulsion – against Gonzales for his misconduct. 

Chair of the Congressional Democratic Women’s Caucus, Teresa Leger Fernández, in addition to scores of other liberal lawmakers, have also called for Gonzales’ resignation.

‘Rep. Tony Gonzales’s actions would result in a termination and investigation in any other workplace.’

‘Rep. Gonzales should resign,’ she added, noting his ‘abuse of power.’