Tony Gonzales, a Texas state congressman, has announced his withdrawal from the midterm election after facing heavy pressure from Republican Party members following his admission of an extramarital affair with a former subordinate.
Foreign media reported that Tony Gonzales, a Texas state congressman in the U.S. and member of the Republican Party, officially ended his campaign for the upcoming midterm election after facing intense pressure due to admitting to an affair with a former subordinate, Regina Santos-Abiles, while both were married. She later died by self-immolation in September last year.
Gonzales posted a statement on platform X on Thursday night (5 Mar), saying, "After careful consideration and encouragement from my family, I have decided not to run in this election. However, I will continue to serve my constituents with full commitment for the remainder of my term."
This decision came just hours after Republican leaders jointly issued a statement calling for his withdrawal from the upcoming runoff election on 26 May, where he was set to compete against Brandon Herrera, also from the same party.
Republican Party whip Tom Emmer revealed that he told Gonzales that this mistake has placed all party members in a difficult position, especially since Gonzales had previously denied the allegations, claiming they were political blackmail. Emmer warned that if Gonzales did not withdraw voluntarily from the upcoming election, he could face a party expulsion vote.
Meanwhile, the U.S. House Ethics Committee has initiated an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and workplace favoritism, which are serious violations of House rules.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told the media that although the allegations against Gonzales are shocking and repugnant, the principle of due process will be upheld in the investigation. He described the pressure on Gonzales to withdraw from the midterm election as a "political death penalty" severe enough on its own.
However, some party members, such as Thomas Massey and Nancy Mace, criticized party leaders for defending Gonzales to complete his term, saying the move is solely to maintain a slim majority and could damage the party's credibility in the upcoming elections.
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