Rep. Tony Gonzales faces resignation calls over reported affair - El Paso Times

A Democrat hoping to unseat embattled Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas is calling on the incumbent to resign in the wake of a rising scandal.

Bruce Richardson, who is hoping to take on Gonzales in the November General Election, is calling on Gonzales to resign after reports of his affair with staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide after setting herself on fire last year.

Gonzales, R-San Antonio, initially denied the affair, but new text messages between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles — independently authenticated by NBC News — seem to undermine his denials. In one message, Gonzales says "send me a sexy pic." In another, he asks Santos-Aviles her "favorite position" and referenced multiple sexual acts.

Gonzales, whose district includes portions of El Paso, has so far not responded to multiple requests for comment on the reported affair.

“I have remained silent on this matter out of respect for the deceased and her family, but this latest revelation requires response,” Richardson said in a statement. “I call on Representative Gonzales to resign immediately.”

Richardson, one of four candidates in the Democratic primary for the District 23 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, is a 67-year-old accountant living in Alpine, Texas. There is no apparent frontrunner in the race, as all four candidates are political unknowns, but Richardson's statement marks the first public call for Gonzales to resign.

“Representative Gonzales’ indiscretion in this matter prevents him from representing the voters of our district,” Richardson said. “Moreover, if a 20-year Navy veteran is this careless with communications, how can voters trust him with our nation’s most sensitive information.”

House Speaker Johnson backs investigation, stops short of calling for Gonzales' resignation

While the furor around his alleged affair is mounting, Gonzales still has the support of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson — for now.

CNN reported Tuesday, Feb. 24, that Johnson conceded the accusations against Gonzales are "very serious," but said he is not pursuing the lawmaker's resignation despite calls from other Republicans. Ongoing investigations, however, should be allowed to proceed, he said.

“There are serious accusations, and it must be taken seriously, and I’ve told him he’s got to address that with his constituents and, and he’s in the process of doing that,” Johnson told CNN. “It is my understanding there’s an investigation in the state of Texas on these matters and has been going for some time, and the Office of Congressional Conduct has also, it’s been reported, they’ve been looking at it and all of that was news to me. But I … think as in every case like this, you have to allow the investigations to play out and all the facts to come out.”

Johnson has endorsed Gonzales in his primary battle against conservative YouTube personality Brandon Herrera, who nearly toppled the incumbent two years ago.

“I endorsed Tony before all these allegations came out," Johnson told CNN Monday. "They’re obviously very serious, and I’ve spoken with him and told him he’s got to address that in an appropriate way with his constituents and all of that. So, it’s too early for anybody to prejudge any of that, but we’ll see how it develops."

Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at [email protected].