Tony Gonzales Faces New Scrutiny After Texts Show Request for 'Sexy Pic' from Aide Who Later Died
Just after midnight on May 9, 2024, Rep. Tony Gonzales begged an employee, Regina Santos-Aviles, to send him a "sexy pic, " text messages now show. When Santos-Aviles pushed back, saying the conversation had gone too far, Gonzales persisted, saying he was "just such a visual person. " The exchange and its fallout matter because Santos-Aviles later died and the messages have become central to claims about an alleged relationship and political consequences for the congressman.
Tony Gonzales and the text messages: what the messages show
The messages shared publicly include a late-night exchange in which Rep. Tony Gonzales asked Regina Santos-Aviles for an explicit photo. Santos-Aviles, who served as his district director in Uvalde, pushed back against the request. Gonzales then wrote that he was "just such a visual person. " Those texts were shared on Monday by Adrian Aviles, Santos-Aviles’ husband, as evidence of a relationship between the congressman and his staffer.
Timeline and the death of Regina Santos-Aviles
Regina Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 after lighting herself on fire. The police report released to the public indicates she told responding officers she set herself on fire because her husband was romantically involved with her best friend. The couple had been estranged for several months after what a friend described to the detective as "Regina’s supposed affair" that had strained the relationship. Santos-Aviles died the next day at a hospital in San Antonio. She and Adrian Aviles shared an 8-year-old son.
How the messages surfaced and immediate reactions
Adrian Aviles provided the text messages to a news outlet on Monday and spoke to a local paper that first published them, saying the alleged relationship and the professional ostracization his wife faced after it was discovered left her despondent before her death. Rep. Tony Gonzales did not respond to a request for comment on the newly released texts. He had said in November that rumors of an affair between him and Santos-Aviles were "completely untruthful. "
Political fallout: campaign pressure, accusations and the primary
Gonzales is married with six children and represents the 23rd Congressional District, the state’s largest, which stretches across the southwestern border and into San Antonio. He is facing a tough reelection bid: Brandon Herrera, a gun rights activist and YouTuber, is mounting another challenge after almost unseating Gonzales in 2024.
Herrera has aggressively used the allegation in campaign material, in one post calling it a "taxpayer funded affair with a married staffer, which led to her death by self-immolation. " Herrera has urged that Gonzales step down and has rebuffed the congressman. In turn, Gonzales has sidestepped direct denials as more evidence has emerged over the last week; he has accused Adrian Aviles of attempting to blackmail him and has blamed his opponent in next week’s primary, Brandon Herrera, for politicizing the issue. Gonzales has also called for the full police report related to Santos-Aviles’ death to be released; Uvalde officials provided the report on Monday.
What to watch next
The revelations come days before a primary contest and have already altered the political conversation in the district. Key immediate developments to watch include responses from the campaign teams, any new material made public from the police file, and how candidates address the personal and political claims in public forums. Details remain contested in places and may evolve as further documents and statements are released.
Unclear in the provided context: whether any formal ethics inquiries or official congressional actions have been opened related to the text messages or the allegations.
