House Gonzales forced into House GOP runoff amid affair allegations by Caroline Vakil - 03/04/26 12:22 AM ET by Caroline Vakil - 03/04/26 12:22 AM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and gun rights YouTuber Brandon Herrera are projected head into a runoff after allegations of an affair with a former staffer rocked the lawmaker’s candidacy, according to Decision Desk HQ.  Gonzales and Herrera will head into a May runoff in the GOP contest for the state’s 23rd Congressional District. Military veteran Keith Barton and former Rep. Francisco Canseco (R-Texas) also ran for the seat. Gonzales narrowly defeated Herrera last cycle after he was forced into a runoff .  A candidate had to win more than half of the vote outright Tuesday to avoid a May 26 runoff.   Gonzales’s reelection bid became precarious in the weeks leading up to the Tuesday primary  after allegations surfaced  that the congressman had had an affair with a former aide, Regina Santos-Aviles. The staffer died by suicide this fall after setting herself on fire.   The controversy swirling around Gonzales prompted resignation calls from some of his House colleagues and Herrera, though the congressman brushed off those requests. The lawmaker described the allegations as “personal smears.”  “I’m not gonna resign. I work every day for the people of Texas,” the congressman  told CNN in an interview  last month.   “There will be an opportunity for all the details and facts to come out. What you’ve seen is not all the facts,” he added. “And there will be an ample time for all of that to come out.”   ouse Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)  said that Gonzales  needed to address the allegations but has held off on calling for the congressman to resign. The GOP can only afford few defections with its narrow majority in the lower chamber.   Add as preferred source on Google Tags Mike Johnson Tony Gonzales Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email More House News See All House Toth defeats Crenshaw in Texas GOP primary upset by Sarah Fortinsky 40 minutes ago House  /  40 minutes ago