House GOP Leaders to Gonzales: Exit the Race

House GOP leaders didn't tell Rep. Tony Gonzales to quit Congress—but they did tell him to quit running. Speaker Mike Johnson and the top three House Republicans said Thursday they've asked the Texas congressman to end his reelection bid, a day after the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into his affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, reports Politico. For now, Gonzales faces a May 26 GOP runoff against challenger Brandon Herrera after finishing second in Tuesday's primary. He did not immediately respond to the request to drop out, notes NBC News.

Gonzales had initially dismissed the accusations of an affair with Regina Santos-Aviles as false rumors before acknowledging it this week, but he maintains the affair was unrelated to her death. "I made a mistake … and I take full responsibility," he told radio host Joe Pagliarulo. Relationships between members of Congress and staffers are prohibited under House rules, notes Axios.