Former President Donald Trump has officially endorsed Brandon Herrera for the Republican nomination in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. This announcement comes just days after Herrera secured the nomination following incumbent Representative Tony Gonzales’ decision to withdraw from the race.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump praised Herrera for his commitment to key Republican issues, including school choice, border security, and the protection of the Second Amendment. Herrera, a prominent gun rights advocate, had previously criticized Gonzales for his support of a bipartisan gun safety measure enacted in response to the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, which falls within the district.
Herrera initially garnered the highest number of votes in the Republican primary held on March 3; however, he did not secure the nomination outright, leading to a runoff against Gonzales. Just two days after the primary, Gonzales publicly acknowledged an affair with a staff member and subsequently withdrew from the race.
This marks Herrera’s second attempt at the Republican nomination in this district. In the 2024 election, he narrowly lost to Gonzales by fewer than 400 votes.
Gonzales, who is set to complete his third term in January, has faced intense scrutiny due to revelations about his affair with Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, a former aide who later died by suicide. Following these allegations, numerous political figures, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, urged Gonzales to abandon his reelection efforts after he placed second in the primary.
The House Ethics Committee is currently investigating whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee within his office.
Trump had previously endorsed Gonzales in the primary before the affair became public but later excluded him from a list of endorsed candidates for Texas congressional primaries just days before the election.
Looking ahead, Herrera will compete against Katy Padilla-Stout, a 40-year-old attorney who won the Democratic primary with a majority vote, for the party’s nomination.
