Gonzales is out in Texas, and Dems see a chance to beat ‘The AKGuy’

Brandon Herrera’s controversial online presence and hardline politics could open another opportunity for House Democrats in a deep-red district.

Illustration by Claudine Hellmuth/POLITICO (source images via Getty and iStock)

Democrats see a new opportunity brewing deep in the heart of Texas, where Republicans solving one problem may have inadvertently created a new one.

Rep. Tony Gonzales’ decision to drop his reelection bid over an infidelity scandal has elevated Brandon Herrera, a controversial social media figure known by his handle “TheAKGuy,” to the Republican nomination for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.

Democrats in the district are hoping the convergence of scandal, a lightning-rod GOP candidate, signs of a major snap-back by Latino voters in Texas, and a potentially competitive Senate race could help lift Democratic turnout enough to flip this district for the first time in a decade.

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