Overview
- The Associated Press called the race for Democrat Katy Padilla Stout, reporting she won roughly 51.7% of the vote to Republican Brandon Herrera’s 44.5%, giving Democrats control of the open seat.
- The vacancy followed Rep. Tony Gonzales’s resignation in April after he acknowledged a relationship with a former staffer and prompted a House Ethics Committee inquiry into his conduct.
- Brandon Herrera ran as a firearms-maker and YouTube personality with a multimillion-follower platform and received an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
- Herrera’s campaign was repeatedly criticized for past on-camera remarks and videos, including Nazi references and a mock child-hostage segment, and he faced scrutiny over a prior podcast clip referencing veteran suicide.
- The 23rd District spans northwest San Antonio to El Paso and has voted Republican in recent presidential contests, so the flip may indicate shifting voter dynamics that national parties will watch closely.