Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas officially resigned from his seat in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The departure comes amid escalating pressure from within his own party following the public release of sexually explicit text messages.
The most recent revelations, published by the San Antonio Express-News, detail a series of lewd messages sent in 2020 to a campaign political director. At the time, Gonzales was a congressional candidate and his wife, Angel, was pregnant with their sixth child.
Records indicate that Gonzales repeatedly solicited nude photographs and sexual favors from the staffer, who is over a decade older than him. Despite his persistence, the staffer reportedly rebuffed his advances and eventually shared the communications with investigators.
In the messages, Gonzales utilized graphic language to describe sexual fantasies and frequently pressured the subordinate to send explicit images. The staffer, now in her 60s, described the congressman’s behavior as "evil" in subsequent interviews with the press.
The resignation ends a tumultuous period for the Texas Republican, who had already withdrawn from his re-election bid last month. That withdrawal followed the exposure of a separate extramarital affair with another aide, Regina Santos-Aviles.
Santos-Aviles, who served as a regional director for the congressman, died by suicide in September 2025. Gonzales later admitted to that relationship, characterizing it as a "lapse in judgment" while undergoing a House Ethics Committee probe.
Party leadership reportedly urged Gonzales to vacate his seat immediately to prevent a formal expulsion vote on the House floor. Fellow Republicans expressed concern that the scandal would threaten the slim House majority and distract from President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
Gonzales’ resignation coincides with the departure of Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat who also stepped down Wednesday amid misconduct allegations. The simultaneous resignations have sparked renewed debate over personal conduct standards for members of Congress.
The Texas 23rd district seat will remain vacant until a special election is held later this year. Gonzales, first elected in 2020, had survived previous primary challenges but saw his support collapse as more details of his personal life surfaced.
As of Wednesday night, Gonzales has not issued a formal public statement regarding the 2020 text messages. His office confirmed that his resignation was effective at 11:59 p.m., bringing an abrupt end to his tenure in Washington.