Democrat Katy Padilla Stout defeated Republican Brandon Herrera in the race for Texas’s 23rd Congressional District on Tuesday, flipping a seat that had been held by Republicans and had been vacant since the resignation of Rep. Tony Gonzales earlier this year.

Herrera's hopes in the race faded after Padilla Stout built a lead of roughly 7 points with a majority of precincts reporting. The district stretches from the San Antonio area west across a large portion of the U.S.-Mexico border toward El Paso. It had been represented by Gonzales, a Republican, until he resigned effective April 14, 2026, following an admission of an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide and amid pressure from House Republican leadership. No special election was called to fill the remainder of the term, leaving the seat vacant until the winner of the November election takes office in January 2027.

Texas’s 23rd District has a long history of leaning Republican. In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump carried the district by approximately 15 points. Gonzales won reelection that year by more than 24 points and had previously held the seat since 2021. The district had been rated Likely Republican or Lean Republican by major forecasters heading into the cycle, though it was viewed as more competitive after Gonzales’s departure.

Herrera, a firearms manufacturer, YouTube personality known as “The AK Guy,” and Second Amendment activist, advanced as the Republican nominee after Gonzales suspended his reelection campaign following the March primary. Herrera had challenged Gonzales in a closely contested 2024 Republican primary runoff, losing by a narrow margin. He received an endorsement from Trump and campaigned on border security, gun rights, and opposition to the Democratic nominee.

The race featured substantial campaign spending. Herrera raised approximately $3.1 million and spent about $2.8 million through mid-October, according to Federal Election Commission filings, significantly outraising Padilla Stout, who raised roughly $1.1 million. Outside groups also spent on the contest. The elevated spending reflected the high-profile nature of the open seat and Herrera’s profile among conservative activists.

Padilla Stout’s victory marks a Democratic flip in a district that has not elected a Democrat in over a decade and that supported Trump by double digits in 2024. The result comes amid broader Democratic gains in the both chambers on election night.