Rep. Tony Gonzales withdraws from House runoff after admitting affair

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales has ended his reelection campaign for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District following revelations of an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. In a statement, Gonzales expressed his decision to focus on his duties in Congress while receiving support from his family. Facing a GOP primary against Brandon Herrera, Gonzales’s exit paves the way for Herrera to challenge Democrat Katy Padilla Stout in the upcoming election. The affair and subsequent scrutiny led to calls for Gonzales to withdraw from the race after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation.

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