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Brandon Herrera

Updated: Wikipedia source

Brandon Herrera

Brandon Joseph Herrera (born November 20, 1995), also known as The AK Guy, is an American YouTuber, firearms manufacturer, and political candidate. He gained prominence through his YouTube channel, launched in 2014, which features firearms testing, historical weapon demonstrations, and commentary on gun policy and politics. Herrera is a member of the Republican Party. In 2024, Herrera ran to represent Texas's 23rd congressional district in the U . House of Representatives, challenging incumbent Tony Gonzales in the Republican primary. He lost by approximately 1 percentage point in a runoff. He ran again for the seat in 2026, forcing a runoff and becoming the nominee after Gonzales withdrew his candidacy. Politically, Herrera identifies as libertarian-leaning and is associated with right-wing populist figures, emphasizing gun rights, limited government, and support for President Donald Trump.

Infobox

Born
Brandon Joseph Herrera (1995-11-20) November 20, 1995 Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U .
Other name
TheAKGuy
Education
Campbell University (attended)
Political party
Republican
Channels
Brandon Herrera Brandon Herrera - B Side
Years active
2014–present
Genre
Firearms/Weaponry
Subscribers
4 million (main channel)
Views
826 million (main channel)

Tables

2024 United States House of Representatives election, District 23 (primary) · Electoral history › 2024
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
57,630
Candidate
100
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Tony Gonzales (incumbent)
25,988
45
Republican
Brandon Herrera
14,201
24
Republican
Julie Clark
7,994
13
Republican
Frank Lopez Jr.
6,266
10
Republican
Victor Avila
3,181
5
Total votes
57,630
100
2024 United States House of Representatives election, District 23 (primary runoff) · Electoral history › 2024
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
29,692
Candidate
100
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Tony Gonzales (incumbent)
15,023
50
Republican
Brandon Herrera
14,669
49
Total votes
29,692
100
2026 United States House of Representatives election, District 23 (primary) · Electoral history › 2026
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
55,062
Candidate
100
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Brandon Herrera
23,857
43
Republican
Tony Gonzales (incumbent)
22,979
41
Republican
Keith Barton
4,672
8
Republican
Quico Canseco
3,554
6
Total votes
55,062
100

References

  1. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/28/us/elections/results-texas-us-house-23-primary-runoff.html
  2. Ballotpedia
    https://news.ballotpedia.org/2025/10/15/incumbent-tony-gonzales-r-brandon-herrera-r-and-susan-storey-rubio-r-are-running-in-the-republican-primary-for-texas-23rd-congressional-district-on-march-3-2026/
  3. Brandon Herrera for Congress
    https://brandonherreraforcongress.com/meet-brandon/
  4. San Antonio Express-News
    https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/san-antonio-ak-guy-congress-19363199.php
  5. The Texas Tribune
    https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/25/brandon-herrera-tony-gonzales-primary-runoff/
  6. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/02/texas-runoff-tony-gonzales-brandon-herrera-republicans/
  7. Journal Times
    https://web.archive.org/web/20221031021349/https://journaltimes.com/news/local/kyle-rittenhouse-launches-pro-2nd-amendment-youtube-channel/article_0cb6a82e-4fe6-11ed-acdb-1f5ee3d23e2f.html
  8. Survival World
    https://www.survivalworld.com/outdoors/brandon-herreras-ak-50-is-finally-complete-and-it-was-well-worth-the-wait/
  9. Insider Gaming
    https://insider-gaming.com/insane-tarkov-weapon-teased-hardcore-wipe-nikita/
  10. TheGamer
    https://www.thegamer.com/call-of-duty-mw3-best-jak-cataclysm-builds/
  11. The Texas Tribune
    https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/27/minneapolis-shooting-manifesto-brandon-herrera/
  12. Dallas News
    https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2025/08/28/minneapolis-shooter-praised-texas-congressional-candidate-in-now-deleted-video/
  13. Houston Chronicle
    https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/brandon-herrera-minneapolis-shooter-video-ak-guy-21018388.php
  14. ABC News
    https://abcnews.go.com/US/minneapolis-shooting-suspect-gun-rights-activist-brandon-herrera/story?id=125073673
  15. "Hundreds Protest, Testify Against So-Called 'Assault Weapons Ban' in Colorado"
    https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/03/19/hundreds-protest-testify-against-colorado-assault-weapons-ban/
  16. "Bulletin: The Failure of Colorado's Assault Weapon Ban and the Rise of the AR-15"
    https://www.thetrace.org/newsletter/assault-weapon-ban-colorado-federal-history/
  17. Fox News
    https://www.foxnews.com/video/6375314176112
  18. Houston Chronicle
    https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/election/2024/article/brandon-herrera-congress-ak-guy-19371667.php
  19. Brandon Herrera for Congress
    https://brandonherreraforcongress.com/issues/
  20. KSAT
    https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/05/23/incumbent-congressman-faces-off-against-youtube-personality-gun-manufacturer-in-district-23-gop-runoff/
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