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Republican Brandon Herrera’s past online comments about women and children are drawing scrutiny as the firearms manufacturer and YouTube personality faces Democrat Katy Padilla Stout in Texas’ sprawling 23rd Congressional District.
The race pits Herrera, known online as “The AK Guy,” against a first-time candidate who is a former teacher and an attorney representing children in Texas’ foster care system.
The 23rd congressional district is vast and stretches from San Antonio across much of the Texas–Mexico border. It was previously represented by Tony Gonzales who resigned after a sex scandal. The seat is currently unfilled.
At a Saturday morning campaign event at a busy San Antonio shopping center, Herrera’s volunteers waved signs at passing cars and offered them to potential supporters.
When TPR asked to interview Herrera, campaign manager Kimmie Gonzalez said he was unavailable. Asked how an interview could be arranged, she repeated “No, he is not available.”
TPR explained that an interview would give Herrera an opportunity to respond to questions about his public statements and that, without one, the reporting would draw on his online videos.
“Go do what you need to do, and we’ll do what we need to do,” Gonzalez said. “Thank you. I’m going to ask you to leave now, please, from our event.”
TPR refused to leave the event since it was being held in a public space. TPR has repeatedly sought an interview with Herrera without success.
Herrera has built a YouTube audience of more than 4 million subscribers with firearms videos and commentary. In a recent video, he accused news organizations of searching through his extensive online output for material that would portray him negatively.
“Yes, the mainstream media, including CNN, "Rolling Stone," MSNBC, or MSNOW, whatever the f*** they are now,” he said, were reviewing hundreds of hours of his content, “trying to find anything they can latch onto to try to make me seem like a piece of s***.”
Among the remarks attracting attention are comments directed at Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts in 2023.
Herrera called the gun safety organization “f***ing stupid,” then used a sexually explicit description of pregnancy to dismiss Watts’ political opinions.
“The fact that you kept your c** trophy doesn’t make you any less wrong about the dumb s*** that you say,” he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has endorsed Herrera and raised money for him, was asked about the remarks during an interview on CNN.
Johnson called the language “detestable,” but defended Herrera’s candidacy, describing him as a former online provocateur.
Johnson said Herrera had apologized for the remarks. Although Herrera has not apologized and continues to speak in public and online using profanity.
“That was his persona online,” Johnson said, adding that Herrera was now running as a serious and thoughtful congressional candidate.
Padilla Stout rejected the argument that the comments should be dismissed as comedy.
Meeting with block-walking volunteers that same Saturday in the parking lot of Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio, she said voters should consider what the language reveals about Herrera’s approach to representing the district.
“I think regardless of whether or not you say you’re joking, there’s still harm in rhetoric,” she said. “And we still want someone who’s serious about issues and is serious about this community representing us.”
Padilla Stout is campaigning on the cost of living and access to health care. She argues that Herrera’s online remarks put him out of step with the community he seeks to represent.
Herrera’s campaign emphasizes gun rights, border security and reductions in taxes, spending and regulations. His platform calls for national concealed-carry reciprocity, allowing people authorized to carry concealed firearms in one state to carry in other states. He also opposes red flag laws and additional firearms restrictions.
The contest is drawing Democratic attention despite the district’s Republican lean. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added the seat to its target list in August, giving Padilla Stout’s campaign greater national visibility as she tries to overcome the GOP’s electoral advantage.
Herrera enters the November election with a Republican advantage. President Donald Trump carried the district by about 15 percentage points in 2024, and the Cook Political Report rates the race “Likely Republican.”
Trump has endorsed Herrera.
