Republican Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas announced on Monday that he will retire from Congress after admitting to an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide.
Why it matters: Gonzales’s departure further narrows the slim Republican majority in the House. His 23rd Congressional District, which stretches across 29 counties along the Texas-Mexico border, will require a special election at a time when every seat matters for the party’s legislative agenda.
What happened
Gonzales acknowledged the affair with Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, a member of his congressional staff. Santos-Aviles later died by suicide.
“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 said. He added that he had reconciled with his wife and asked God for forgiveness.
Ethics investigation
The top Republican and Democratic members of the House Ethics Committee had already announced that an investigative panel would examine whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee and whether he dispensed special favours or privileges.
Bipartisan calls for Gonzales’s expulsion had been building in the weeks before his retirement announcement.
Political impact
Gonzales plans to file his retirement once Congress returns to session. His district is a swing seat that includes large stretches of rural Texas and the cities of San Antonio’s western suburbs, Del Rio, and Eagle Pass.
The special election to fill his seat will test Republican strength along the southern border, a region central to the party’s immigration messaging.