Brandon Herrera, the Republican nominee for a critical congressional district in Texas, has repeatedly made vulgar sexual statements and derogatory comments targeting women, according to a review of his online content. Herrera, who amassed more than 4 million YouTube subscribers as "The AK Guy," dismissed the remarks as jokes.
The documented statements include comparing feminists to whales and nuclear bombs, joking about being irresistible to "fat b*tches" after rubbing ranch dressing on his body, and describing liberal women discussing firearms as "both fat and wrong." He also directed sexually explicit insults at a gun safety advocate and her children.
Herrera is seeking to fill the seat vacated by GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales, who resigned in April during a House Ethics Committee investigation into his relationship with a former senior aide.
Cynthia Miller-Idriss, who directs the Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab at American University, reviewed the content and described Herrera's statements as characteristic of internet misogyny. Her research suggests that disseminating misogynistic statements can normalize behaviors that are reliable predictors of political violence.
Herrera pushed back against the criticism. In a statement, he reiterated that his past comments were jokes and rejected the link between his statements and violence.
He also attacked his Democratic opponent, Katy Padilla Stout, a former teacher and attorney, over her legal work representing a father who sought to restore parental rights following a domestic abuse allegation.
The controversy has put Republican leadership in an awkward position. House Speaker Mike Johnson and President Trump have publicly backed Herrera, with Trump posting on Truth Social that Herrera "WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN." The endorsements come just as the district's previous congressman departed over sexual misconduct allegations.
Democrats see an opening. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added the Texas seat to its target list and sent funding to Stout's campaign, betting that Herrera's documented history of misogynistic remarks could tip a Republican-leaning district.
