Padilla Stout Leads Herrera in Texas 23rd
Republican Brandon Herrera conceded the Texas 23rd congressional district race to Democrat Katy Padilla Stout after 79% of votes were tallied.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Katy Padilla Stout led Brandon Herrera with 52% of the vote in the Texas 23rd congressional district general election held Nov. 3, 2026. Herrera conceded the race, and the seat had been vacant since Tony Gonzales resigned on April 14.
Why it matters
The election determines who fills a congressional seat that sat vacant for months after Gonzales's resignation, and the district covers a large portion of the U.S.-Mexico border. The outcome gives Texas voters a new representative for the district.
With 79% of votes tallied as of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Padilla Stout held 52% of the vote in the district. The extraction does not include the final certified count or Mendoza's share.
The players
Katy Padilla Stout
The Democratic candidate who led the Texas 23rd congressional district race and won the Democratic primary in March.
Brandon Herrera
The Republican candidate who conceded the Texas 23rd congressional district race after finishing behind Padilla Stout.
The details
Three candidates appeared on the general-election ballot: Padilla Stout for the Democrats, Herrera for the Republicans and Mendoza as an independent. Herrera and Gonzales had finished first and second in the March Republican primary before Gonzales withdrew ahead of the scheduled runoff.
Timeline
March 2026: Party primaries settled the nominations.
April 14, 2026: Tony Gonzales resigned, vacating the seat.
Nov. 3, 2026: General election held for the district seat.
11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: 79% of votes tallied with Padilla Stout leading.
Nov. 4, 2026: Herrera officially conceded the race.
Need to Know
The race follows the April 14, 2026 resignation of Tony Gonzales, which left the Texas 23rd seat open for the general election. Padilla Stout's lead ends a vacancy that began when Gonzales stepped down.
The result determines which party represents the Texas 23rd district in Congress, affecting constituents along the border from San Antonio to El Paso. Voters in the district now have a newly elected representative in place of the seat that was vacant since April.
The takeaway
Election outcomes in districts with vacancies can change party control of a seat quickly, so voters should track certified results once counting is complete. Checking official county canvass reports will confirm the final margin.
Further reading
For more on the state's races, see Elections coverage across Texas.
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