Tony Gonzales faces mounting pressure from GOP women over affair allegations

Speaker Mike Johnson is also pressing the Texas Republican to address his relationship with a staffer who later died by suicide.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) arrives for a House Republican Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol, on Oct. 3, 2023. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

Three prominent House Republican women called on GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales to step down Monday, applying major new pressure on the Texas lawmaker to address accusations that he had an affair with his staffer who later died by suicide.

Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado became the first Republican lawmaker to call for Gonzales’ resignation, followed by Reps. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who were both prompted to speak out by the release of new alleged text messages between the lawmaker and his subordinate.

Separately Monday, in his first comments on the matter, Speaker Mike Johnson called the allegations “very serious” but declined to call for further action as investigations into Gonzales play out. Rep. Brandon Gill, a fellow Texas Republican, also called for Gonzales to end his reelection bid.

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