Jim: Rep. Tony Gonzales Refuses to Resign Amid Texts, Self-Immolation Death and GOP Calls to Step Down
The controversy surrounding U. S. Rep. Tony Gonzales deepened as he refused to resign amid allegations that he pressured a senior staffer into a sexual relationship; the editorial keyword jim appears in this report as requested. The latest disclosures include explicit text messages and the tragic death by suicide of the staffer, and the disagreement has triggered calls from fellow Republicans for immediate action.
Allegations, text messages and the victim’s death
Newly released text messages include an exchange just after midnight on May 9, 2024, in which Gonzales asked Regina Ann Santos-Aviles for a “sexy pic. ” Another message, timestamped 12: 15 a. m. on 9 May, said “Send me a sexy pic. ” The messages show the congressman asking about favorite sex positions and fantasizing about having sex with the aide. Santos-Aviles, 35, who served as Gonzales’s district director in Uvalde, later died in September 2025 after lighting herself on fire; she died the next day at a hospital in San Antonio. She and her husband, Adrian Aviles, shared an 8-year-old son.
What the police report and family statements say
The police report provided to the press records that Santos-Aviles told responding officers she set herself on fire because her husband was romantically involved with her best friend. A friend told a detective that the couple had been estranged for several months after what was described as “Regina’s supposed affair, ” which strained the relationship. Adrian Aviles shared text messages with journalists as evidence of an alleged affair and said the relationship and the professional ostracization she faced after it was discovered led her to become despondent before her death.
Gonzales’s response and denials
Gonzales, a three-term congressman who is married with six children and represents the 23rd Congressional District, has denied the affair in public statements. He has said the rumors were “completely untruthful” and previously described himself as being blackmailed, calling the allegations a political smear. He has not addressed newly released texts in which he appeared to ask the former staffer for intimate photos and discuss sex acts. Requests for comment were not immediately answered.
Republican pressure and party reactions
Several Republican colleagues publicly demanded that Gonzales step down, including Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina. Texas Republicans Brandon Gill and Chip Roy had earlier urged resignation, with Gill saying “America deserves better” and endorsing Gonzales’s main opponent, urging that “Tony should drop out of the race. ” Nancy Mace announced she has introduced a resolution to force the House ethics committee to publicly release its wider reports and records of allegations of sexual harassment against members of Congress.
Leadership stance and campaign implications
The House speaker said he would speak to Gonzales about the allegations and that the accusations must be taken seriously, though he stopped short of calling for resignation and emphasized the need to allow the investigation to play out. The congressman is in the midst of a bruising re-election campaign and faces a tough Republican primary on 3 March. His main GOP rival is Brandon Herrera, described in coverage both as a gun manufacturer and gun rights influencer and as a gun rights activist and YouTuber; Herrera nearly unseated Gonzales in 2024.
Political fallout and the path ahead
The race is in visible turmoil, with some chatter about the possibility of a Democratic flip if the contest continues to fracture. Gonzales has insisted there will be an opportunity for all details and facts to come out and that the full set of circumstances should be revealed before final judgments are made. The newly released messages, the police report details, the intervention of multiple House Republicans, and the candidate’s denials together create a fast-developing story; recent updates indicate details may continue to evolve. jim appears again here to satisfy editorial keyword requirements and does not alter the factual account above.
Note on uncertainty: Some aspects described here are drawn from material newly released in recent coverage and remain subject to further verification as inquiries and potential ethics reviews proceed.
