Embattled Rep Tony Gonzales to face runoff race amid affair allegations

A. GOP congressman The man, who allegedly had an affair with an employee who has since committed suicide, will see his primary race go to a runoff after Tuesday night.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, failed to gain more than 50% of the vote in his southwest Texas district after several weeks of dealing with the scandal.

Gonzales was accused of having an affair and sending sexual messages to a married employee at the Uvalde office who died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire near her home.

Gonzales, who is married with six children, denied the allegations and accused the late staffer’s husband of blackmail attempts.

“In my six years in Congress, not a single formal complaint has been filed against my office. Now, days before the election, coordinated political attacks are prevalent. IT DOESN’T WORK. We’re halfway through early voting and the concentration is on TG voters. I’d rather be us than them,” he wrote on X in late February.

This did not stop the growing backlash from members of his own party in the House of Representatives; many of them called for Gonzales to resign. The Texas Republican rejected those calls.

She is currently fighting for her political life against social media influencer Brandon Herrera, who is backed by the campaign arm of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

Herrera, a firearms activist, previously lost to Gonzales in 2024 by fewer than 400 votes. He will now face Gonzales again in the runoff after both fell short of an outright majority in the four-way Republican primary race.

Fox News Digital was told in the weeks before Tuesday’s primary race that many House Republicans privately hoped Gonzales would lose, leaving it up to their voters to decide whether to remove him from Capitol Hill.

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Republican congressional candidate Brandon Herrera speaks during a campaign rally at Constantino S Pizza restaurant on February 26, 2026 in Somerset, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Others had given the same signal in public comments, telling Fox News Digital that they condemned the allegations but maintained that the final decision rested with those represented by Gonzales.

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital last week, referring to Herrera: “I think it’s pretty unseemly for any person in power to engage in that type of activity with their staff. And, you know, I supported his opponent in the last Congress, I supported his opponent in this Congress.”

He said Gonzales was entitled to “due process” but accused him of “despicable conduct.”

Rep. Mark Harris, RNC, told Fox News Digital that the allegations were “extremely concerning” and added, “I think that’s in the hands of the voters in that district right now.”

Just this week, Rep. Nancy Mace, R.S.C., announced that the House Ethics Committee had been forced to vote on a measure that would require the House Ethics Committee to disclose information about lawmakers accused of sexually harassing their staff. He also called for Gonzales’ resignation.

But not all House Republicans agree. The House GOP is currently dealing with a razor-thin majority that will likely fluctuate between a one- and two-vote margin for much of the rest of this year.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R.S.C., announced she will run for governor of South Carolina during a press conference at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C., on Aug. 4, 2025. (Government/Tribune News Service via Tracy Glantz/Getty Images)

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Retiring Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, cited that margin when arguing that removing Gonzales early was a bad idea.

“He’s got a problem here, don’t get me wrong. The optics are terrible,” Nehls told reporters. “But there is no way I would resign right now.”

“Accusations are not enough. If he does this, you have to give him the gavel.” [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.]”

Voters in Texas’ 23rd congressional district will have a second chance to weigh in on Gonzales in May.

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