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Katy Padilla Stout wins Texas’ 23rd Congressional District race

By
FOX Local
Election
Published November 4, 2026 12:35 AM CST
Published November 4, 2026 12:35 AM CST

The Brief

    • Democrat Katy Padilla Stout has won the election for Texas' 23rd Congressional District, unseating GOP control of a border seat held by Republicans since 2015.
    • Stout defeated Republican gun-rights personality Brandon Herrera and independent Ben Mendoza in a heavily targeted race following the resignation of former Rep. Tony Gonzales.
    • Concession statements and official post-race remarks from the candidates are currently pending as final election night totals are finalized.

DALLAS - Katy Padilla Stout was declared the winner Tuesday night in the race to represent Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, defeating Republican Brandon Herrera and independent Ben Mendoza in a contest that drew national attention and became a target for both major political parties.

The 23rd District stretches from a portion of San Antonio across West and South Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border. Republicans have held the district since 2015.

Katy Padilla Stout wins a closely watched Texas congressional race

The backstory:

Stout will replace former Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who resigned from Congress after announcing he would not seek reelection amid a personal scandal involving an affair with a former staffer. The former staffer later died by suicide.

The race featured Republican Brandon Herrera and Democrat Katy Padilla Stout.

Herrera, a gun manufacturer, gun-rights activist and YouTube personality known online as the "AK Guy" forced Gonzales into a Republican primary runoff before Gonzales withdrew from the race. Herrera then became the Republican nominee for the November election.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Herrera after Gonzales dropped out. Trump said Herrera would work to grow the economy, cut taxes and regulations, expand domestic energy production, secure the border and protect Second Amendment rights.

Democratic nominee Katy Stout is an attorney and former teacher. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) added the 23rd District to its "Districts in Play" list in August, identifying it as a potential Democratic pickup.

The DCCC said it planned to invest additional resources in the race and argued that Herrera’s controversial public profile gave Democrats an opportunity in the heavily Latino district.

Republicans had defended the district as a seat that remained favorable to the GOP, despite the national attention surrounding Herrera and Gonzales’ departure.

What's next:

Katy Padilla Stout will serve a two-year term in the U.S. House. The result comes as Democrats and Republicans compete for control of the chamber.

The Source: Information in this article was provided by previous FOX Local coverage and AP.

Election2026 ElectionsTexasTexas PoliticsPolitics