Democrat Katy Padilla Stout wins election to U.S. House in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District

Democrat Katy Padilla Stout won election Wednesday to the U.S. House of Representatives representing Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, defeating Republican Brandon Herrera. Padilla Stout is a former schoolteacher and now an attorney who specializes in child welfare and education law. The district leans strongly Republican, but Democrats looked to cast Herrera as a fringe figure from the hard right whose comments on social media many found offensive. Herrera gained notoriety by posting videos of himself shooting weapons. He owns The AK Guy Inc., a firearm manufacturer. The Associated Press declared Padilla Stout the winner at 1:05 a.m. EST.