Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales dropped his reelection bid for his Texas congressional district on Thursday, after admitting to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.
“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek reelection while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” Gonzales said in a statement on X that did not directly mention the scandal that has dogged the three-term congressman in recent weeks.
Gonzales was set to face off against hard-right gun activist Brandon Herrera in a GOP primary runoff in May. Herrera will now face Democrat Katy Padilla Stout in November.
The 23rd Congressional District, which covers a large swath of the U.S.-Mexico border and West Texas, heavily favors Republicans.