Pro-gun YouTuber Brandon Herrera leads race for Uvalde district seat
The "AK Guy" gunfluencer could represent the Texas town devastated by the 2022 elementary school shooting.
What to know
- Brandon Herrera, a YouTuber with 4.27 million subscribers, is the frontrunner in the Republican primary for Texas's congressional district 23, which includes Uvalde and El Paso.
- He has built his online presence around extreme pro-gun rhetoric, including arguing after mass shootings that firearms are a 'fortunate' weapon choice compared to alternatives.
- District 23 is viewed as potentially decisive for House control; Democrats hope Herrera's controversial statements make him vulnerable in November 2026.
- If elected, Herrera would represent both cities devastated by mass shootings: El Paso (2019, 23 dead) and Uvalde (2022, 21 dead, mostly children).
Brandon Herrera YouTuber and Republican congressional candidate
Shannon Watts Founder, Moms Demand ActionDemocratic Party Opposition party
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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Herrera runs as frontrunner for Texas congressional district 23 — Herrera, now a prominent 'gunfluencer' with nearly 860 million total video views, is the leading Republican candidate to represent the district that includes both El Paso and Uvalde. District 23 is viewed as potentially decisive for House control in Trump's final two years.
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Shannon Watts warns of consequences if Herrera elected
Shannon Watts, founder of the gun safety group Moms Demand Action, who has been targeted by Herrera's social media aggression, warns that his election could have long-lasting consequences. She calls his argument that people should be 'grateful' for firearms in mass killings 'a very cynical ploy to numb people.'
“His idea that somehow we should be grateful that firearms are being used in mass killings is a very cynical ploy to numb people to g…”
— Shannon Watts -
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If elected, Brandon Herrera, "the AK guy", would represent the town of Uvalde where, in May 2022, an 18-year-old former student killed 19 children and two teachers. Shannon Watts, the founder of the gun safety group Moms Demand Action, has been a target of Herrera’s aggressive use of social media. Should he win, she says, there could be…
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https://www. theguardian.com/us-news/2026/s ep/23/brandon-herrera-ulvade-congress-race
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Guardian investigation details Herrera's extreme rhetoric targeting mass shooting sites
The Guardian publishes an extensive profile revealing Herrera's controversial statements made after both the El Paso and Uvalde mass shootings, detailing his extreme pro-gun positions and framing his potential election as deeply problematic for the affected communities.
“With these terrible mass shootings, you should be really glad that some of these people are using guns to do this … I think we are fortunate that these people are using guns.”
— Brandon Herrera, YouTuber and congressional candidate · source -
background
Uvalde school shooting kills 21 — In Uvalde, an 18-year-old former student killed 19 children and two teachers.
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Herrera defends guns as 'fortunate' choice in mass shootings — Three days after El Paso, Herrera posted a video arguing that mass shooters using guns was fortunate because alternative weapons like trucks or bombs could kill more people. He framed the argument as 'data driven' and coming from 'a place of empathy.'
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El Paso Walmart mass shooting kills 23 — A white nationalist opened fire at a Walmart in El Paso, killing 23 people and injuring 22 others.
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first by Mastodon, 2d ago · also Guardian US