Republican Brandon Herrera, Democrat Katy Padilla Stout and independent Ben Mendoza are vying to represent Texas’ sprawling 23rd Congressional District in the Nov. 3 election, seeking a seat left vacant after former U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales resigned amid a sex scandal earlier this year.
Herrera, a firearms manufacturer and social media personality, is making his second bid for the seat after narrowly losing a Republican primary runoff in 2024. Padilla Stout, a former public school teacher and child welfare attorney, won the Democratic nomination in March. Mendoza, an El Paso native with a family background in agriculture, joined the race as an independent.
The 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments and serve on committees. District 23 stretches from El Paso’s Lower Valley through West Texas to San Antonio. U.S. representatives serve two-year terms and are paid $174,000 a year…