Texas primaries: Rep. Tony Gonzales faces Brandon Herrera in District 23 GOP runoff, despite scandal
SAN ANTONIO - The battle for the Republican nomination in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District is headed to a high-stakes runoff, with incumbent Rep. Tony Gonzales and challenger Brandon Herrera emerging as the final two contenders Tuesday night in a rematch of their razor-thin 2024 primary.
This time unfolding under the shadow of controversy surrounding allegations against the congressman.
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LIVE: U.S. House District 23 Election Results
Battle for GOP nominee
What we know:
The race for the Republican nomination in Texas' 23rd Congressional District came down to two familiar faces to voters Tuesday night.
In the end, Rep. Tony Gonzales and Brandon Herrera advanced to a runoff election.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, seeking his fourth term in Congress, is facing a strong challenge from weapons maker Brandon Herrera.
The two are no strangers to each other. In the 2024 primary, Herrera and Gonzales previously went to a runoff won by Gonzales. The two were separated by just 354 votes.
Election race controversy
The runoff election comes amid a push from some within Gonzales' party who are calling on him to resign after allegations that he had an affair with an ex-staffer.
The staffer, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her Uvalde home. The death was ruled a suicide by self-immolation by the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office.
Johnson says 'things will play out' for Texas congressman's sexting scandal as primary looms
Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not leap to conclusions about Rep. Tony Gonzales' sexting scandal with an ex-staffer even as calls for the congressman to resign come from within the Republican Party.
The congressman has said he will not resign and Speaker Mike Johnson said that he would not call on Gonzales to step down until a full investigation into the incident was completed.
Gonzales called the situation a "coordinated political attack" since the allegations came to light as early voting was beginning in the state.
Democratic nominee
The other side:
For the Democratic nomination, Katy Padilla Stout maintains an early lead to represent the Democratic Party in November.
Katy Padilla Stout
Stout is a former public school teacher in Texas who opposes tariffs, supports the expansion of Medicare for all Americans, and believes in historic investments for universal Pre-K students.
Race for Texas' 23rd Congressional District
The backstory:
Texas’ 23rd Congressional District was previously represented by incumbent Tony Gonzales.
On the Democratic side, the candidates included Gretel Marysdatter Enck, Santos Limon, Bruce Richardson, and Katy Padilla Stout.
For the Republicans, Tony Gonzales faced primary challengers Keith Barton, Francisco Canseco, and Brandon Herrera.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas Secretary of State's Office. Backstory comes from previous FOX Local reporting.