A new poll obtained exclusively by Breitbart News shows Republican Brandon Herrera leading Democrat Katy Padilla Stout by six percentage points in the race for Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, a seat that has drawn national attention after the resignation of former Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) amid a scandal.
The Remington Research Group survey, conducted July 25-28, 2026, among 572 likely general election voters, found Herrera with 47 percent support to Stout’s 41 percent. Ten percent of respondents said they were undecided, and two percent said they would vote for someone else. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
Herrera’s Path to the General Election
Herrera, a Second Amendment activist and small business owner, advanced to the general election after forcing Gonzales into a runoff in the Republican primary. That runoff was later canceled when Gonzales resigned from Congress after his affair scandal gained national prominence, making Herrera the GOP nominee.
In a statement obtained by Breitbart News, Herrera said the poll numbers reflect a clear message from Texas voters. “I think these numbers reflect something that should be obvious. Texans do not want to be represented by radical leftists who want to indoctrinate children with LGBTQ ideology, restart the border crisis, and raise our taxes,” Herrera said.
Policy Contrasts
Herrera’s platform centers on border security, opposing new taxes, defending Second Amendment rights, opposing government funding of abortion, championing school choice, and opposing “endless wars.”
Stout, his Democratic opponent, has prioritized rejecting the Big Bend border wall, imposing limits on Second Amendment rights, supporting abortion access, rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, and pushing for universal pre-kindergarten.
Fundraising Disparity
Herrera also appears to hold a financial advantage. In an August 18 campaign update, Herrera said his campaign “raised more money in the first 45 days of Q3 than my opponent Katy Stout has raised in her entire political career.”
According to a release from Herrera’s campaign, he has raised over $600,000 since July 1, the start of the third quarter. The release also noted that Stout reported raising just $484,915.03 for her entire campaign, with only $171,372.78 cash on hand after spending “thousands of dollars on cookies and other snacks.” Herrera’s campaign touted the success of its small-dollar donation program.
The 23rd District race has become a focal point in the battle for control of the House, with both parties watching closely as the November 2026 election approaches.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/19/exclusive-brandon-herrera-leads-democrat-katy-padilla-stout-in-texas-congressional-race/