SAN ANTONIO – After months of fighting calls for his departure, scandal-ridden U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, submitted his resignation to Gov. Greg Abbott. His resignation will go into effect Tuesday night.
The resignation letter, which goes into effect at 10:59 p.m. central time, was read on the House floor by reading clerk Tylease Alli on Tuesday afternoon.
“It has been my privilege to serve the residents of Texas’ 23rd Congressional district,” wrote Gonzales.
The Republican representative dropped his bid for re-election shortly after confessing to the affair. At the time, he said he would serve the rest of his term in Congress.
Gonzales posted on X on Monday afternoon that he planned to file for “retirement” once Congress returned to session on Tuesday.
The post, which was published at 5:30 p.m. Monday, came as bipartisan support mounted for expulsion measures against both Gonzales and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.
Gonzales’ announcement came about an hour after Swalwell also said he planned to resign from Congress. Swalwell is facing his own allegations of sexual misconduct.
Gonzales has been scrutinized for months following the affair with Uvalde-based staffer Regina Santos-Aviles and calls to drop his bid from House Republican leadership.
Gonzales, who avoided answering KSAT Investigates’ questions about his affair with Santos-Aviles for months, told reporters in February he would “not resign.”
The San Antonio Express-News reported that Gonzales also allegedly asked a separate staffer for nude photos and attempted to start a sexual relationship with her during his 2020 campaign.
Gov. Greg Abbott has the authority to call a special election to fill his seat — should he choose to do so.
KSAT reached out to Abbott’s office on Tuesday. A spokesperson for his office said, “An announcement on the seat will be made at a later date.”
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.