Jewish Voter Guide
Brandon Herrera
U.S. House · TX · Republican · District 23
Summary
A firearms manufacturer and YouTuber known online as The AK Guy, Herrera is the Republican nominee for Texas's 23rd District. He narrowly lost the 2024 Republican primary runoff to incumbent Tony Gonzales by a few hundred votes, then led the 2026 primary and became the nominee after Gonzales withdrew amid a scandal. His profile of concern rests on a body of videos and podcast remarks featuring Nazi and Holocaust imagery and jokes, and ownership of a copy of Mein Kampf, alongside opposition to United States aid to Israel and harsh attacks on pro-Israel groups. Herrera denies being antisemitic, calling the material satire taken out of context, and the Republican Jewish Coalition has opposed him in both of his races.
The record
Positions come from public votes, statements and on-the-record interviews. Every claim links to its source. No aggregate score or grade.
Nazi and Holocaust content
Herrera built his following on a YouTube channel devoted to firearms, and his output has included material that critics and Jewish groups condemn as trivializing the Holocaust: videos in which he fired Nazi-made weapons, called a gun an original ghetto blaster, recreated Hitler's suicide, and made occasional Holocaust jokes. On a 2024 podcast he discussed owning a 1939 English language edition of Mein Kampf, Hitler's manifesto. Reporting has also cited his interactions with neo-Nazis online and his membership in a neo-Confederate group.
Opposition to Israel aid and pro-Israel groups
Herrera opposes United States aid to Israel, and he has said he would vote against large foreign spending packages. He has been a blunt critic of pro-Israel groups. He has called AIPAC an enemy of United States elections, dismissed what he termed its Israel first agenda, and said he opposes Israel buying American elections.
Reaction from the Jewish community
Herrera has drawn sustained opposition from Jewish organizations, including from within his own party. The Republican Jewish Coalition ran ads against him in 2024 and disavowed him again after he secured the 2026 nomination, saying it speaks out against those who traffic in Nazi ideology and that he would not receive its support.
Sources
- Candidacy and background — Jewish Insider, Gonzales's withdrawal leaving Herrera the nominee and the primary result: https://jewishinsider.com/2026/03/tony-gonzales-brandon-herrera-texas-gop-drop-out/
- Nazi and Holocaust content — JTA, the Nazi-era weaponry, the Hitler suicide recreation, the Holocaust jokes, the Mein Kampf discussion, and the campaign's rejection including the simulated killing of Hitler: https://www.jta.org/2026/03/12/politics/trump-endorses-brandon-herrera-texas-gop-candidate-who-owned-copy-of-mein-kampf
- Nazi and Holocaust content — The Mein Kampf podcast remarks, the video imagery and jokes, the reported online interactions with neo-Nazis, and the neo-Confederate group membership https://jewishinsider.com/2026/03/brandon-herrera-texas-mein-kampf-podcast-remarks/
- Nazi and Holocaust content — Video content including the Nazi-made weapons and the for the Fatherland and ghetto blaster remarks: https://www.jns.org/u.s.-news/texas-republican-faces-another-close-primary-challenge-from-youtuber-who-has-used-nazi-imagery
- Opposition to Israel aid and AIPAC — Jewish Insider, his opposition to aid to Israel and his AIPAC criticisms, including the enemy of US elections and Israel first remarks https://jewishinsider.com/2026/03/brandon-herrera-texas-mein-kampf-podcast-remarks/
- Reaction from the Jewish community — Jewish Insider, the Republican Jewish Coalition's disavowal and its traffic in Nazi ideology statement: https://jewishinsider.com/2026/03/brandon-herrera-texas-mein-kampf-podcast-remarks/
A note on methodology. This guide is published as an educational reference. The American Jewish Congress does not endorse candidates and does not publish aggregate scores. If you spot a position that needs an update or a better source, please reach the office.