Brandon Herrera, a 30‑year‑old YouTuber who styles himself as “The AK Guy”, is now the Republican frontrunner in Texas’s 23rd congressional district. The seat, which has been held by Republicans since 2015, is being closely watched as a possible flip in the November 2026 midterms and a bellwether for the battle over gun policy nationwide. Herrera’s campaign is dominated by his incendiary pro‑gun rhetoric, a history of offensive “jokes” about Nazis and mass‑shooting victims, and a platform that promises to dismantle existing safety measures. While his supporters see him as a champion of Second Amendment rights, critics warn that his election could embed some of the most extreme views on firearms into the federal legislature, reshaping debate on everything from background checks to red‑flag laws.
The Rise of a Gun Influencer
Herrera built his online brand by producing videos that blend firearm demonstrations with combative commentary. According to his channel analytics, he commands 4.27 million subscribers and has amassed nearly 860 million views. His company, The AK Guy Inc., is based in San Antonio after he moved the operation from Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 2020, citing frustration with state‑level COVID‑19 restrictions. The firm markets a custom‑built weapon he calls the AK‑50, a scaled‑up version of the Soviet Kalashnikov capable of firing .50‑calibre rounds—an ammunition class originally developed for early‑20th‑century heavy machine guns. Herrera’s self‑promoted narrative positions him as an entrepreneur who turned a niche hobby into a thriving business, a story that resonates with many rural Texans who view gun ownership as both a livelihood and a cultural pillar.
A Record of Outrageous Statements
The candidate’s public comments have repeatedly crossed into controversial territory. In a 2022 video that garnered 2.3 million views, he referenced the MP‑40 submachine gun used by German forces in World War II, calling it “the original ghetto blaster”. He and an associate then performed a goosestep to a marching song adopted by the Waffen SS, prompting condemnation from Jewish advocacy groups. Earlier, in 2019, Herrera made a joke about the deaths of two men shot by Kyle Rittenhouse, saying, “Good luck, kid. You minted some good commies.” He later claimed the remark was a “comedy performance” and not an endorsement.
In January 2023, Herrera launched a vitriolic attack on Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. Using explicit pornography‑derived language, he said, “Just because you let somebody creampie you doesn’t mean I have to give a shit about your political opinions… The fact that you kept your cum trophy doesn’t make you any less wrong about the dumb shit that you say.” Watts responded that the remarks were part of a broader pattern of misogyny aimed at silencing women who advocate for gun safety. “It has always been about misogyny. How dare a woman and a mother use her voice,” she said.
Herrera’s most incendiary claim came in the immediate aftermath of the 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting, in which a white nationalist killed 23 people and injured 22 with an AR‑15‑style rifle. He suggested that society should be “glad” that the perpetrator used a firearm rather than a truck or fertilizer bomb, arguing that “the average victim count in mass shootings is 15; the Oklahoma City bombing killed 168.” Critics described the comment as a callous attempt to justify gun violence.
The Campaign Playbook: Trump, Borders and Abortion
Herrera has aligned himself with former President Donald Trump, branding himself as a “America First” Republican. He has secured Trump’s endorsement and frequently invokes the former president’s rhetoric on immigration, pledging to “double down on the border crackdown”. The candidate also promises no new taxes and opposes government funding for abortion, positions designed to appeal to the district’s largely conservative, majority‑Latino electorate.
Texas’s 23rd district stretches from the Rio Grande Valley to the outskirts of El Paso, encompassing roughly half a million voters. The area has been scarred by two of the nation’s most notorious mass shootings: the 2019 El Paso attack and the May 2022 massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where an 18‑year‑old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers. Herrera’s stance on gun rights places him at odds with many survivors and their families, who have pushed for stricter legislation such as raising the minimum age for AR‑15 purchases to 21 and enacting red‑flag laws.
His opponent in the November contest, Democrat Katy Padilla Stout, has tried to make Herrera’s past remarks a central issue. “So many children in Uvalde were affected by the shooting. When people hear the way he describes children, their jaws are on the floor,” she said. Padilla Stout, who grew up on a ranch and hunts regularly, stresses that she understands the district’s gun culture but argues that Herrera’s absolutist position threatens public safety. “As a mother myself, that’s a hard thing for me to put on thousands of doors,” she added.
Polling data remains sparse, but two recent surveys show a tight race. A March poll commissioned by House Majority Pac, a Democratic‑aligned group, placed Padilla Stout two points ahead of Herrera. Conversely, a survey conducted last month by Remington Research Group for the right‑wing Breitbart website gave Herrera a six‑point lead. The divergent results highlight the district’s volatility and the national attention focused on the outcome.
Local Fallout and National Implications
The contest has drawn the involvement of national gun‑rights organisations that have stepped in as the NRA’s influence wanes. The National Rifle Association, once a dominant force in Republican politics, has been weakened by financial scandals and internal fractures. In the vacuum, harder‑line groups and social‑media influencers like Herrera have gained prominence, pushing the boundaries of Second Amendment advocacy.
Local Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser, based in Austin, has warned that Herrera’s history of making light of the Holocaust could alienate Texas voters, many of whom are pro‑Israel. “I don’t think the Holocaust is something we should be joking about,” Steinhauser said. “I don’t think we should be singing the song of the stormtroopers.” Herrera responded on social media, accusing critics of “pearl clutching virtue signalling”.
The district’s voting patterns have shifted in recent cycles. In 2024, Herrera mounted an unsuccessful primary challenge against incumbent Representative Tony Gonzales, losing by a narrow margin. Gonzales later resigned amid a sex scandal, clearing the field for Herrera to claim the Republican nomination without a primary fight. The incumbent’s departure has been framed by some analysts as a direct consequence of his support for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which tightened background checks for buyers under 21 and imposed restrictions on firearm possession for certain domestic‑abuse offenders. Herrera railed against Gonzales for backing the measure, declaring, “If you vote against our interests, if you vote against gun rights, we will primary you, and we will take your fucking job.”
The broader legislative backdrop includes a 2025 state law that instituted permitless carry, allowing anyone to conceal a loaded handgun in public without a licence or training. Governor Greg Abbott signed the measure, presenting it as a defiant stand against federal overreach. Herrera advocates for a similar “concealed carry reciprocity” at the federal level, arguing that “if you can carry a gun in Texas, no questions asked, then you should be able to carry that firearm down into the New York City subway.”
Public opinion surveys add nuance to the debate. A 2025 poll conducted by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston found that 85 % of Texans support raising the age to purchase an AR‑15‑style rifle from 18 to 21. The same survey showed majority support for stronger background checks, a ban on all AR‑15‑style rifles, and red‑flag legislation. These findings suggest a disconnect between the electorate’s expressed preferences and the positions championed by candidates like Herrera.
Why it Matters
The outcome of the Texas 23rd district race will reverberate far beyond the Lone Star State. If Herrera secures the seat, a politician who has built a career on glorifying high‑capacity firearms and mocking the victims of mass shootings will sit in Congress with the power to shape national gun policy. His presence would amplify a narrative that frames unrestricted gun ownership as a patriotic duty, potentially stalling or reversing any bipartisan momentum toward safety measures that enjoy broad public support. Conversely, a victory for his Democratic challenger would signal that even in a traditionally pro‑gun region, voters may reject extremism when confronted with its human cost. The race thus serves as a litmus test for the future of gun‑rights politics in America and the extent to which incendiary rhetoric can translate into legislative power.
