A Republican Texas congressman who has been the focus of attention due to his affair with a former aide who died by suicide has ended his effort to keep his seat.
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said he will not compete in a runoff election with Brandon Herrera.
“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” Gonzales said in a statement, according toPolitico.
“Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful,” he said.
After initially denying a sexual relationship with former aide Regina Santos-Aviles, who died last year after setting herself on fire, Gonzales finally admitted to the sexual relationship.
“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales has said.
He said the affair had “absolutely nothing to do with” Santos-Aviles’ death.
May 2024 texts show Gonzales, a married father of six, asking his aide for “sexy” photos, according toWABC-TV.
“You don’t really want a hot picture of me,” she wrote.
“I’m just such a visual person,” he wrote back, adding “Sorry.”
Source: VidNews » Feed
