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Republican Brandon Herrera and Democrat Katy Padilla Stout went head-to-head Tuesday night in a contentious debate for the Texas 23rd Congressional District, clashing over the Uvalde school shooting, border security, rural health care and whether Herrera's controversial online behavior makes him unfit for public office.
The debate, hosted by Sinclair-owned WOAI-TV and KABB-TV, gave voters an opportunity to compare the two candidates competing for a congressional seat that stretches from western San Antonio across Southwest Texas toward El Paso.
The district has attracted national political attention as Democrats see a potential opportunity to flip a Republican-held seat left vacant following the scandal prompted resignation of former Congressman Tony Gonzales.
The combative tone was established almost immediately.
Herrera, a firearms manufacturer and YouTube content creator known as "The AK Guy," opened by emphasizing his family's ties to Texas, his business experience, lowering taxes and securing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Padilla Stout, a former teacher, child welfare attorney and mother of four, used her opening statement to question Herrera's character.
"My opponent is unfit for this office for a multitude of reasons," she said, before accusing him of visiting Robb Elementary School in Uvalde following the 2022 mass shooting and firing at child-shaped targets.
Herrera disputed the claim that he had visited the elementary school. Padilla Stout subsequently apologized for misstating the location, clarifying that she was referring to a video Herrera filmed elsewhere in Uvalde County about three months after the shooting.
The video and Herrera's history of provocative online remarks, including jokes about veteran suicide and sexually explicit comments, have become central issues in Padilla Stout's campaign.
Herrera, however, appeared determined to present a different image during the debate, emphasizing policy proposals and his relationships with Republican leaders in Washington.
Jon Taylor, a political science professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said Herrera appeared to be distancing himself from his online personality.
"He tried to portray himself as the voice of reason, as measured in his approach," Taylor said. "But you can begin to see cracks appearing as we got toward the middle and end of the debate."
Taylor said Padilla Stout's repeated attacks appeared calculated to highlight the contrast between Herrera's debate performance and his YouTube persona.
"She's trying to actually say, look, here's a difference between Herrera, who is portraying himself in a particular way, and me, who is a mom of four, working to protect working families, to push for child health care and child protection," Taylor said.
One of the sharpest disagreements between the two candidates involved the 2022 massacre at Robb Elementary School, where 19 children and two teachers were killed.
Herrera argued that preventing another mass shooting requires better-trained law enforcement and armed security at schools, potentially including military veterans.
"As a country, we've decided that our politicians, they get armed security. Banks get armed security. But our children do not," Herrera said.
Padilla Stout challenged that approach, pointing to the heavily criticized police response in Uvalde, where hundreds of officers eventually assembled but failed to confront the gunman for more than an hour.
"In Uvalde we had plenty of armed officers there at the scene for over 45 minutes and yet our children and our teachers were not safe," she said. "That does not work. Let's talk about things that do work. Investing in mental health."
Padilla Stout also called for raising the minimum age to purchase assault-style rifles to 21.
Herrera defended the role armed citizens can play in stopping mass shootings and argued that improving police training would help prevent another Uvalde tragedy.
The candidates also disagreed over immigration enforcement and the future of the border region.
Herrera said securing the border should be a top priority and accused Padilla Stout of supporting a return to Biden administration immigration policies.
"I think it (the border) needs to remain closed. I think we need strong border policy," Herrera said.
Padilla Stout rejected Herrera's characterization, arguing that border communities need security while maintaining lawful commerce and cooperation with Mexico.
"We need a functioning border. We do not need a closed border and we certainly don't need an open border," she said.
Both candidates expressed opposition to a physical border wall through the Big Bend region, where proposed construction has raised concerns about tourism, private property and environmental damage.
Herrera said he had personally discussed those concerns with officials in Washington and pledged not to support federal legislation funding a physical barrier that would disrupt Big Bend.
Padilla Stout challenged his support for alternative border security technology, arguing that a so-called “smart wall” would still damage the national park and require private land.
Access to health care in sparsely populated West Texas communities also became a point of contention.
Herrera advocated expanding community-based care for veterans and securing additional federal funding for rural hospitals and other infrastructure.
He repeatedly argued that his relationships with Republican leadership would give him an advantage in obtaining a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which helps determine federal spending.
"There's only one candidate on the stage that has a shot at getting that appropriation seat that this district so deeply relies on," Herrera said.
Padilla Stout challenged his assertion, arguing that committee assignments are not guaranteed. She proposed federal investments in rural hospitals and student loan forgiveness programs to encourage doctors and nurses to practice in underserved communities.
Taylor was especially skeptical of Herrera's suggestion that he could secure the coveted committee assignment.
"No, 100%, it doesn't pass the smell test at all," Taylor said. "It really is a case of someone who is over-promising something he cannot deliver on."
House committee assignments are determined through congressional party procedures, not simply awarded to candidates upon election. The seat formerly held by Gonzales on the Appropriations Committee was assigned to Republican Rep. Jefferson Shreve of Indiana following Gonzales' resignation.
The candidates also differed on the federal government’s role in limiting the rapid expansion of data centers in West Texas and their demand for water and electricity.
Padilla Stout said, if elected, she would work for minimum federal standards to protect communities from excessive resource consumption and to ensure data center operators pay their fair share of taxes.
Herrera also supported protections against excessive water consumption but emphasized local control and efforts to make data centers “water positive” and contribute to water supplies rather than simply deplete them.
Both candidates identified affordability as a major concern, although they offered different solutions.
Herrera advocated lowering taxes and reducing government burdens on working families, while Padilla Stout emphasized expanding access to health care and universal prekindergarten.
The two candidates also pledged to refrain from trading individual stocks while serving in Congress.
As the debate drew to a close, Padilla Stout again attacked Herrera's financial transparency and his online behavior. She questioned whether voters should trust him with a congressional seat.
Herrera accused his opponent of focusing on sensational controversies instead of the everyday concerns of district residents.
"When are we going to talk about rural health care? When are we going to talk about affordability? When are we going to talk about how we're going to bring gas prices down? When are we going to talk about tax cuts for working families?" Herrera asked.
The district has been represented by Republicans since 2015.
Independent candidate Ben Mendoza is also on the November ballot.
Early voting begins Oct. 19 and runs through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.
