Bipartisan Pressure Mounts as Tony Gonzales Faces New Texts and Calls to Resign
Newly released text messages have intensified demands that Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales step down, prompting high-profile Republican colleagues and party leaders to press him as he heads into a primary election next week. The exchange of messages and competing responses from elected officials and the congressman have shifted the immediate battle over his political future.
Lauren Boebert Shares 'Resign!' Message
Representative Lauren Boebert posted the word "Resign!" on social media and included images of the text messages, escalating public Republican pressure. Representative Anna Paulina Luna urged colleagues to condemn Gonzales for "asking for explicit photos" of a member of his staff, while Representative Nancy Mace said Gonzales should resign immediately instead of "campaigning like nothing happened. "
Regina Santos-Aviles and the Texts
The underlying controversy centers on messages involving Regina Santos-Aviles, a former aide who, in a text cited by investigators, said she had an extramarital affair with the congressman. Santos-Aviles died by suicide last year. A former aide to Gonzales provided a text from Santos-Aviles in which she wrote she "had an affair with our boss. " That aide asked not to be named and shared the same evidence with.
Sexually Explicit Messages Disclosed by Husband's Lawyer
This week a lawyer for Santos-Aviles' husband disclosed additional sexually explicit text messages that the GOP congressman allegedly sent to his former aide. MS NOW has not independently verified the authenticity of the texts, which were reviewed in detail by, the San Antonio Express-News, The, NBC News, Politico and The Texas Tribune.
Tony Gonzales' Response and Accusations
Tony Gonzales has largely remained quiet ahead of next week's primary election in Texas. Though he has long denied having a sexual relationship with his former aide, he has recently accused his primary rival, YouTube personality Brandon Herrera, and Santos-Aviles' husband of trying to blackmail him. The congressman is a married father of six.
GOP Colleagues Urge Exit or End to Campaign
Some Republican colleagues stopped short of demanding immediate ouster but signaled the severity of the situation. Texas Representatives Chip Roy and Brandon Gill urged Gonzales to end his re-election campaign. Other Republicans called explicitly for resignation, creating an unusual bipartisan chorus for a sitting member of the GOP.
House Leadership and Presidential Endorsement
House Speaker Mike Johnson described the allegations as "serious" and said he had urged Gonzales to address the controversy "in an appropriate way with his constituents. " At the same time, former President Donald Trump formally endorsed Gonzales last week, and that endorsement remains in place. The timing matters because the endorsement and the escalating calls for resignation converge as voters head to the polls in the primary next week.
The public record also includes a truncated line that reads "The Louisiana Re"—unclear in the provided context. What makes this notable is how many different actors have been drawn into the dispute: former staff, a grieving family, members of Congress from across the GOP spectrum, a presidential endorsement and legal representation for a bereaved spouse.
The collision of newly disclosed messages, demands from Republican colleagues, and Gonzales' accusations against his critics has transformed a previously reported scandal into a moment of acute political jeopardy with a concrete near-term deadline: the primary election next week.
