YouTube gun influencer-turned-congressional candidate Brandon Herrera took aim at rival U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, alleging the South Texas Republican incumbent had an affair with one of his staffers who later committed suicide.
“While my opponent Tony Gonzales has prioritized betraying President Trump and distracting himself with having extramarital affairs with his congressional staff, I’ve been hard at work listening to the voters of Southwest Texas and heeding their call for a new representative with integrity who will support President Trump, fight for greater affordability, and defend our Constitutional rights,” said Herrera, who’s known to his online followers as the “AK Guy.”
Herrera’s comments came in an email announcing that his campaign had raised just over $1.1 million since he announced his candidacy for Texas 23rd Congressional district in August. The district includes a portion of San Antonio along with a wide swath of South Texas.
Herrera came within just a few hundred votes of unseating Gonzales, a moderate, in last year’s GOP primary. Now it appears the MAGA adherent hopes to gain ground by seizing on allegations that Gonzales, a married father of six, had an improper relationship with Regina Santos-Aviles, his late staffer.
Santos-Aviles died after she set herself on fire outside her Uvalde home in September, according to authorities. British tabloid the Daily Mail and right-wing news blog Current Revolt have both alleged that Gonzales was engaged in a romantic relationship with Santos-Aviles before her demise.
“The rumors are completely untruthful, and Regina’s family has asked for privacy,” Gonzales said at the Texas Tribune Festival earlier this month.
It was the first time that Gonzales publicly addressed the allegations.
“No one has contacted me. I haven’t contacted anyone. I’m genuinely untrusting of these [news] outlets. I’m waiting for a final report,” Gonzales added. “But, I would like everyone to remember Regina for all the wonderful things that she did for our community.”
Despite Herrera’s fundraising haul, Gonzales still has a significant edge when it comes to cash, reporting $2.5 million on hand in his latest campaign finance report. Even so, the incumbent also had a cash advantage in the 2024 primary where he barely eked out a victory.
However, during the Texas Tribune Festival, Gonzales said he remains confident he’ll best Herrera again.
“I’ve beaten him multiple times, and I’ll beat him again,” Gonzales said. “In politics, we call them ‘zombies.’ You knock them down. They come back, and you knock them down again. It’s just part of the deal.”
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