SAN ANTONIO, TX – Explosive new details have emerged alleging that U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) had a romantic affair with one of his senior district staffers, Regina Ann “Regi” Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide in Uvalde last September after setting herself on fire. Gonzales has continuously denied the allegation.
A former staffer in Gonzales’ Uvalde district office shared with the San Antonio Express-News a screenshot of a text message from Santos-Aviles in which she explicitly admitted the affair. The April 28, 2025, message read: “I had (sic) affair with our boss and I’m fine. You will be fine.”
Santos-Aviles, 35, served as Gonzales’ regional district director in Uvalde starting in November 2021. She was a mother to an 8-year-old boy and had been married to Adrian Aviles for seven years (together 21 years). The couple was separated at the time of her death but shared parenting duties.
According to the former staffer, who worked closely with Santos-Aviles and described her as his “best friend,” the affair occurred in 2024. It came to light around late May 2024 — shortly after Gonzales won his GOP primary runoff against Brandon Herrera — when her husband discovered text messages and alerted other district staffers. Gonzales abruptly ended the relationship, the staffer said, and Santos-Aviles spiraled into depression.
She began taking antidepressants in the summer of 2025 and police were called to her home in August 2025 following what the former staffer described as a suicide attempt. On Sept. 13, 2025, Santos-Aviles doused herself in gasoline in the backyard of her Uvalde home on Geraldine Street and set herself on fire. She was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and died the next day, Sept. 14. The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide by self-immolation, with no evidence of foul play.
The former staffer told the Express-News he had repeatedly raised concerns about Santos-Aviles’ mental health with district director Jalen Falcon in the months before her death, but said Gonzales failed to act. After her death, the staffer said he could no longer “sell the lawmaker’s message and his ideals” and resigned in January 2026. He has since moved to Los Angeles and is working on two local Democratic campaigns.
Bobby Barrera, an attorney for Adrian Aviles, confirmed to the Express-News that the affair “was not a secret among the staff.”
“It’s common knowledge,” Barrera said. “The staff was clearly aware this event was occurring.” However, when asked if the relationship contributed to Santos-Aviles’ suicide, Barrera replied: “I don’t think so.” He added that Aviles has been reluctant to comment publicly because “this is personal” and concerns about the impact on their young son. “To everybody else, it’s political. … They just want to burn Tony.”
Gonzales, who is married with six children, has so far declined to answer specific questions about the alleged affair. In a statement issued Wednesday to News 4 San Antonio, he praised Santos-Aviles’ work and accused primary challenger Brandon Herrera of orchestrating a smear:
“Ms. Santos-Aviles was a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place. Her efforts led to improvements in school safety, healthcare, and rural water like never before. It’s shameful that Brandon Herrera is using a disgruntled former staffer to smear her memory and score political points, conveniently pushing this out the very day early voting started. I am not going to engage in these personal smears and instead will remain focused on helping President Trump secure the border and improve the lives of all Texans.”
Despite Gonzales' denial of the affair allegations, the San Antonio Express-News editorial board, which had previously endorsed Gonzales, announced it is withdrawing that recommendation in the March 3, 2026, Republican primary for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
“The affair is troubling for many reasons. First, it is an act of deception. Gonzales is married and has six children. Second, Gonzales had an affair with a staffer. This was not an equal relationship,” the board wrote. “We see a disturbing lack of character from an elected official.” The board made no endorsement in the GOP primary.
Polling Shows Tight Race Ahead of March 3 Primary
With early voting underway (Feb. 17-27) and Election Day just two weeks away, recent polling underscores how competitive the four-way GOP primary remains.
A Political Intelligence poll conducted Dec. 17-22, 2025, among 422 likely Republican primary voters found challenger Brandon Herrera leading incumbent Gonzales 33% to 29%. In a head-to-head matchup between the two frontrunners, Herrera led 43%-34% with 23% undecided.
An earlier Trafalgar Group poll (Oct. 31–Nov. 1, 2025) had Gonzales slightly ahead at 40.4% to Herrera’s 35.2%, with the remainder undecided. Polling did not break out support for the other two candidates — former Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco and Keith Barton — but both trail far behind in fundraising and name recognition.
Gonzales is a hard-charging campaigner. He worked tirelessly under similar circumstances in 2024 to defeat Herrera after suffering merciless attacks from the Republican grass roots. He won, but barely. In the March 5, 2024 Republican primary, Gonzales took 45.4% to Herrera’s 24.2%, forcing a May 28 runoff where he narrowly prevailed 50.6%–49.4%, winning by just 354 votes.
Gonzales doesn’t seem to be letting up on his campaign this year, either. He has campaign stops in El Paso on Wednesday, Feb. 18 and will be in Del Rio on Thursday. For the Gonzales camp, these are months-old allegations dug up in time for early voting that began yesterday.
Gonzales, a Navy veteran first elected in 2020, represents the sprawling 23rd District along the U.S.-Mexico border. President Donald Trump has endorsed him for re-election.
The San Antonio Express-News report has been picked up by national outlets including the New York Post and Daily Beast.
Note: Suicide is a serious public health issue. Resources are available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or here.
Congressman Tony Gonzales
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