SAN ANTONIO, Tx., March 6, 2026: On a social media post late evening yesterday, Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23) announced that he has dropped out of the race to keep his congressional seat which includes parts of El Paso. Gonzales has been mired in controversy over the last few months after one of his former staffers committed suicide last year by setting herself on fire.
After Regina Santos-Aviles’ death, rumors of an affair between her and Gonzales surfaced. Gonzales denied the affair up until Wednesday when he admitted it. Late yesterday, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders asked Gonzales to drop out of the race.
Yesterday evening Gonzales posted on social media that he “decided not to seek re-election” but will continue to serve the rest of his term which ends on January 3rd.
Screengrab of social media post, Martín Paredes/El Paso Herald Post
Credit: Screengrab of social media post, Martín Paredes/El Paso Herald Post
Now that Gonzales has dropped out, Brandon Herrera will represent the Republicans on the November ballot. Katy Padilla Stout, who defeated two opponents last Tuesday with 52% of the vote, is the Democrat vying for the seat.
The concern among the Republicans is the narrow lead they hold at the House. Now that Gonzales has announced that he has dropped out, the Republicans can focus on preparing for the November elections. Because Gonzales is serving the rest of his term, the Republicans keep a small cushion on their narrow advantage at the House.
Election Day is November 3rd.
Cover photograph credit: Brandon Herrera (left) for U.S. Congress website photograph and Katy Padilla Stout (right) also campaign website.
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