San Antonio U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales denies 'rumors' surrounding fiery suicide of staffer

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales speaks during a one-on-one discussion at the 2025 Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. Credit: Michael Karlis

AUSTIN — U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican representing San Antonio’s far West Side, dismissed as false any “rumors” suggesting he had an improper relationship with Regina Santos-Aviles, an office staffer who died by suicide earlier this fall.

“The rumors are completely untruthful, and Regina’s family has asked for privacy,” Gonzales said Thursday during a panel at the Texas Tribune Festival moderated by Punchbowl News Senior Congressional Reporter Andrew Desiderio.

Santos-Aviles died by suicide after setting herself on fire Sept. 13 at her Uvalde home, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled earlier this week. She succumbed to her injuries the following day at Brooke Army Medical Center.

The Daily Mail reported weeks later that Gonzales, a married father of six, and Santos-Aviles, his Uvalde regional district director, were romantically involved. The congressman’s district includes a large swath of South Texas, including Uvalde.

Late last month, Uvalde City Attorney Francisco J. Garza, in a letter to the Texas General Attorney’s office, refused to release police calls and other records about Santos-Aviles’ death to the press, saying the matter was “pending possible criminal prosecution.”

However, attorneys representing Uvalde have since changed their tune and now maintain the investigation will be closed in coming weeks with no criminal charges filed.

“I don’t know exactly what happened,” Gonzales said during Thursday’s discussion. “No one’s contacted me. I haven’t contacted anyone. I’m genuinely untrusting of these outlets. I’m waiting for the final report.”

The Texas Tribune Festival marks the first time Gonzales has publicly addressed allegations that he had a relationship with Santos-Aviles. Earlier this week, the congressman dodged questions from KSAT when asked about the claims during a Veterans Day ceremony.

Despite the swirl of news reports around Santos-Aviles’ death, Gonzales said he’s confident he’ll once again defeat YouTube gun influencer Brandon “AK-Guy” Herrera, who’s challenging him in the Republican primary.

During the 2024 Republican Primary for U.S. House Texas District 23, Gonzales only defeated Herrera, a political novice running under a MAGA flag, by 354 votes.

“I’ve beaten him multiple times, and I’ll beat him again,” Gonzales said. “In politics, we call them ‘zombies.’ You knock them down. They come back, and you knock them down again. It’s just part of the deal.”

Even so, Gonzales doesn’t appear to be taking any chances. He’s assembled a war chest of more than $2.5 million, according to his latest campaign finance filing.

Meanwhile, Herrera only has a little more than $300,000 on hand.

“I’m gonna run, and I’m gonna keep winning,” Gonzales said.

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San Antonio U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales denies ‘rumors’ surrounding fiery suicide of staffer

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