Mike Johnson Urges Rep. Tony Gonzales to Quit Race After Affair Scandal
House Republican leadership is urging Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales to drop his reelection bid after he admitted to an affair with a former congressional aide whose death later drew national scrutiny.
The request from Speaker Mike Johnson and other top GOP leaders came just one day after Gonzales publicly acknowledged the relationship for the first time, escalating pressure on the San Antonio-area congressman as a House ethics investigation begins.
According to reporting from The Texas Tribune and CBS News, Johnson and other members of House Republican leadership issued a statement asking Gonzales to withdraw from the race while the inquiry proceeds. The U.S. House Ethics Committee is investigating whether the relationship violated congressional rules banning sexual relationships between lawmakers and their staff.
The scandal intensified after reports revealed that the aide involved in the relationship later died by suicide in 2025. Gonzales had previously denied the affair before acknowledging it publicly this week as questions resurfaced during his reelection campaign.
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“I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said during a radio interview, describing the relationship as a “lapse in judgment.”
The controversy now lands in the middle of a closely watched Republican primary fight in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. Gonzales advanced to a May 26 runoff after failing to secure a majority in the March primary, where gun activist Brandon Herrera emerged as his challenger.
House Republican leadership has stopped short of demanding Gonzales resign from Congress, but the request to exit the race signals growing concern inside the party about the political fallout.
The Ethics Committee investigation will now determine whether Gonzales violated House conduct rules or abused his position with a staff member.
For now, Gonzales has indicated he plans to remain in the race as the investigation unfolds.
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