GOP calls on Rep. Tony Gonzales to resign after explicit texts surface

House Republicans, including Rep. Lauren Boebert and primary challenger Brandon Herrera, on Feb. 23 demanded that Rep. Tony Gonzales resign after a forensic extraction of Regina Ann Santos‑Aviles’s phone allegedly recovered explicit messages that solicited sexual images and contact. Santos‑Aviles, a regional district director based in Uvalde, died Sept. 14, 2025; the Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide by self‑immolation and found no evidence of foul play.

The messages, which were extracted as part of an active legal claim brought by Santos‑Aviles’s widower, reportedly include repeated requests for explicit photos and direct sexual solicitations, including questions about a “favorite position” and “Anal?” The same extraction contains a longer passage attributed to Santos‑Aviles that accuses Gonzales of an abuse of power and urges President Donald Trump to withdraw his endorsement. The passage reads in part, “This isn’t ‘coordinated political attacks. This is exposing the real Tony Gonzales, this is tragedy you helped create... My 8 year old son will grow up knowing what a real man of honor looks like.”

Gonzales, first elected in 2020, has denied the allegations and framed them as extortion. On the social platform X he wrote, “I WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED. Disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death,” and posted an image that purported to show an email referencing a $300,000 non‑disclosure agreement. The authenticity of that email and any NDA has not been independently verified. Gonzales has also described Santos‑Aviles as “a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place” and said he will not “engage in these personal smears,” instead emphasizing border security and other policy priorities.

Political pressure escalated quickly. Boebert reposted screenshots and wrote “RESIGN!” while Herrera, who narrowly forced Gonzales into a 2024 runoff and lost by a few hundred votes, said the allegations warrant stepping down and has used the episode in campaign material urging GOP voters to pick him in the March 3 primary. Other Texas Republicans, including state Rep. Wes Virdell, said Gonzales should step down if the findings prove true. At the same time, the congressman retains endorsements from President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The controversy has immediate arithmetic implications for a narrow House majority. Republicans hold 218 seats to Democrats’ 214, with three vacancies; a resignation would shrink the majority and complicate the GOP’s ability to pass party‑line legislation and manage procedural votes. Herrera’s campaign has argued the seat is at risk, saying an ethics scandal could hand control of Congress to Democrats.

The widower’s attorney, identified in filings as Barrera, has said the forensic extraction was conducted in the course of an active legal claim and that his client sought public acknowledgment rather than a political outcome. “There’s nothing political here. There’s no demand for him to resign. That decision belongs to the voters in that district,” Barrera said.

Key facts remain unverified publicly: full chain of custody for the phone extraction, the provenance of the image Gonzales posted about an NDA, and any formal complaints filed with House ethics authorities. Gonzales’s office says it will contest what it calls politically motivated claims; challengers and some Republicans say the evidence, if authenticated, could violate House rules that bar sexual relationships between members and staff they supervise. The dispute sets up a volatile preprimary period in a sprawling South Texas district that stretches from San Antonio’s west side toward El Paso.