Rep. Tony Gonzales Pulled Into Gop Primary Runoff Amid Allegations He Had An Affair With A Staffer - Beritaja

Rep. Tony Gonzales will look different information successful his Republican superior aft getting pulled into a runoff successful Texas, Beritaja projects, aft a run shaped by allegations he had an matter pinch a staffer successful his legislature agency who died by termination successful 2025.

Brandon Herrera, a pro-gun activist, precocious to a one-on-one runoff against Gonzales for the Republican information aft nary 1 successful the superior sewage a majority. Herrera forced Gonzales to a runoff successful 2024, his first bid for office, but fell conscionable a fewer 100 votes of toppling the incumbent that year.

Brandon Herrera, a Republican legislature campaigner for Texas' 23rd District, during an arena successful Somerset, Texas, connected Feb. 26.Brenda Bazán / AP

While Gonzales had an endorsement from President Donald Trump this clip to thief him bent onto his seat, the incumbent’s governmental opinionated took a awesome deed aft the matter allegation resurfaced past month.

Gonzales had antecedently denied having an matter pinch the erstwhile staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles. But the allegations received caller attraction aft Santos-Aviles’ widower publically accused Gonzales. News organizations, including Beritaja, reported that Gonzales had sent intersexual matter messages to Santos-Aviles.

Gonzales has not addressed the constituent of the allegation since it resurfaced, and his agency did not respond to repeated questions arsenic to whether he stands by his erstwhile denials. Instead, he’s accused Herrera of stoking the allegations, which he’s claimed are politically motivated, and accused Santos-Aviles’ widower and his lawyer of blackmailing him.

Two sources acquainted pinch the investigation told Beritaja past month that the Office of Congressional Conduct has vanished a probe into the alleged affair, but House rules prevented the agency from transmitting a study to the House Ethics Committee correct earlier an election.

A erstwhile naval officer, Gonzales was first elected successful 2020 to correspond the sprawling 23rd Congressional District, which stretches much than 800 miles on the confederate border. In Congress, Gonzales serves connected the plum House Appropriations Committee and crossed statement lines connected a fistful of cardinal votes — including backing a bipartisan weapon information measurement aft a wide shooting astatine an simple schoolhouse successful Uvalde, Texas, successful his district.

That ballot and others, for illustration backing an independent investigation into the 2021 Capitol riot and authorities protecting same-sex and interracial marriages, prompted disapproval the Texas Republican Party arsenic good arsenic from conservatives for illustration Herrera, who has said Gonzales’ voting grounds spurred him to tally for Congress.