Katy Padilla Stout (TX-23)

Katy Padilla Stout is running in TX-23, following Rep. Tony Gonzales’ (R) resignation due to allegations of sexual misconduct. Padilla Stout was born and raised in Texas by a single mother, and her father and grandparents were migrant farmworkers from South Texas. After graduating from UT Austin with a degree in education, she became an elementary school teacher. Driven by a desire to advocate for families on a larger scale, she later attended law school and opened her own law practice, where she covers child welfare and education law. Since 2017, Padilla Stout has served as a member of the Bexar County Child Welfare Board, where she works to strengthen the systems meant to protect vulnerable children. Padilla Stout’s firsthand experiences in education, her career in law advocacy, and her upbringing and family life ground her campaign: she emphasizes serving the children of TX-23 through affordable healthcare, strong public schools, and equal opportunities. Padilla Stout’s Republican opponent, Brandon Herrera, has posted videos mimicking a Nazi march to Nazi music, making jokes about the Holocaust, and boasting about his 1939 edition of Mein Kampf. Padilla Stout has emphasized her commitment to fighting antisemitism and protecting the Jewish community. She has said that antisemitism must be challenged through stronger laws against hate crimes to protect all communities targeted by bigotry and ensure that such crimes are properly prosecuted and punished.