Tony Gonzales: Texas lawmaker drops re-election bid after admitting affair with aide

Texas Republican congressman Tony Gonzales has dropped his re-election bid after admitting an affair, which he had previously denied, with a staff member who died by suicide.

The decision comes after the most senior members of his party in Congress released a statement calling for him to end his campaign.

"After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election," he said in a statement posted to X.

It also comes as lawmakers prepare an ethics investigation into Gonzales, and days after he failed to convince voters to back him for the party's nomination ahead of the mid-term congressional elections.