U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and the chamber’s Republican leadership on Thursday asked Rep. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio to drop his reelection bid which is headed for a May 26 runoff against gun activist Brandon Herrera.
The call from the GOP leaders comes a day after Gonzales admitted to having an affair with an aide who later died by setting herself on fire — despite having previously denied the relationship months earlier.
In a statement, GOP leadership said they had urged the House Ethics Committee , a congressional watchdog, to “act expeditiously” and that Gonzales “said he will fully cooperate with the investigation.” House rules prohibit members from having a sexual relationship or engaging in unwelcome sexual advances with their staffers.
“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues,” the statement said. “In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election.”
On Wednesday, hours after being forced into a runoff election, Gonzales called the affair a “mistake” and a “lapse in judgment” in his first remarks addressing allegations that emerged last fall.
“I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said. “Since then, I have reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has. And my faith is as strong as ever.”
Gonzales could not be immediately reached for comment.
The affair and aide’s subsequent death dominated discourse in the final days of the election, heading into Tuesday, after the San Antonio Express News published a report that the staffer had told a colleague about the relationship.
Gonzales remained defiant and refused to drop out of the March 3 primary, even as other members of Congress began urging him to do just that. On Tuesday, Herrera finished first but failed to secure more than 50% of the votes needed to avert a runoff and unseat Gonzales outright.
Herrera, his primary opponent, on Thursday quickly thanked Johnson and House leadership after they issued their statement.
“I’m looking forward to representing the district the way the people of West Texas have always deserved,” Herrera said.
Johnson’s call for Gonzales to end his campaign came after days of skirting questions about the scandal, often telling reporters he wanted the investigative process to run its course.
Notably, he did not ask the congressman to step down from his seat. The GOP is holding onto a razor thin lead in the U.S. House — a majority that could be imperiled in November’s midterm elections.
National Republican Congressional Committee chair Richard Hudson weighed in after Johnson’s call.
“I agree with the Speaker and the rest of leadership, Tony should withdraw from the runoff and allow the Ethics process to move forward while focusing on his family and serving his constituents for the remainder of his term,” Hudson said.
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