GOP candidate Brandon Herrera repeatedly mocked women’s weight

Key Points:

• Brandon Herrera, Republican nominee for a Texas congressional district, has a history of making vulgar, misogynistic, and derogatory comments about women in his online content, which he dismisses as jokes.
• Herrera’s controversial remarks have drawn criticism amid a race to replace GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales, who resigned over sexual misconduct allegations; Democrats are targeting Herrera’s past as a campaign liability, while top Republicans, including Trump, continue to support him.
• Herrera’s online persona, “The AK Guy,” has millions of subscribers and is known for gun-related content mixed with offensive humor, but his past comments have raised concerns about normalizing misogyny and potential links to political violence.
• Despite backlash from groups like the Republican Jewish Coalition and gun safety advocates, Herrera maintains his candidacy emphasizing his gun rights and border security stances, with GOP leadership largely rallying behind him.
• The race has become highly contested, with Democrats seeing an opportunity to flip the seat by highlighting Herrera’s extremist rhetoric, while some conservatives remain divided over his suitability as a candidate.