With scandal-plagued Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, dropping his re-election bid, Democrats are hoping the new controversial Republican nominee could help them flip the seat.
Brandon Herrera, known as "The AK Guy," is now the presumed nominee in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, and while he has millions of online followers, he also has a history of making off-color remarks. The 23rd Congressional District covers Southwest Texas.
"It’s definitely more competitive than it’s ever been," said former Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Texas, who previously represented the district, to Politico.
Herrera has previously posted Nazi imagery and made jokes like "I often think about putting a gun in my mouth. So, I’m basically an honorary veteran."
He also lost a primary to Gonzales in 2024.
The House Majority PAC, aligned with House Democrats, posted a series of old clips of Herrera where he fired a gun overlaid with a song associated with Nazi propaganda upon Gonzales dropping out.
The district is heavily Hispanic and went for President Donald Trump by 17 points in 2024, though Hillary Clinton won the district in 2016.
Neither the House Democrat campaign arm nor an aligned super PAC has committed to spending money to flip the seat, Politico said. Democrats have nominated Katy Padilla Stout, an attorney.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is “closely monitoring” the race, a source told Politico.
"Maybe I’m just an old-fashioned East Texas farm kid, but I tend to be anti-Nazi, and I have a feeling that people on the western side of the state feel a similar way," said Kendall Scudder, chair of the Texas Democratic Party, to Politico.
"So, you know, go ahead and nominate the adulterer, sexual predator, or nominate the actual Nazi. Regardless, we outvoted them, and we’re going to do it again in November," Scudder added.
Herrera dismissed the attacks against him in an interview with the New York Times and said the clips Democrats were circulating were selectively edited and disingenuous.
"I have a career on the internet doing comedy," Herrera said.
"If their strategy is going to be clutching their fake pearls, and they don’t know the difference between jokes and what I actually believe, then this is going to be a very annoying few months," Herrera added.
The National Republican Congressional Committee scoffed at the idea Democrats could flip the seat.
"Texas’ 23rd District is deep red, and Democrats know it," said Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, in a statement to Politico.
"While they talk a big game in Washington, they don’t even have a credible recruit and are too busy defending their own vulnerable members across Texas to compete here," Martinez said.
The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, rates the seat as "Solid R."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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