Ep. 31: The Texas Congressional Race Getting National Attention (Katy Padilla-Stout)

Texas's 23rd congressional district just got a whole lot more interesting. Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez resigned amid a sex scandal, leaving 800,000 Texans without representation — and Greg Abbott refuses to call a special election. Katy Padilla-Stout, a San Antonio attorney, former teacher, child welfare advocate, and mom of four, won a four-way Democratic primary outright on just $50K. Now she's taking on "AK Guy" Brandon Herrera — a gunfluencer with Nazi-adjacent baggage who wasn't even registered to vote when he first ran — in one of the most competitive and diverse congressional districts in the country.Kate and Alex dig into what's really at stake in TX-23, why this race is winnable, and why the district has never elected an extremist — or a congresswoman. Yet.Plus: Kate got promoted in the military (views expressed here are her own). Alex launched his law firm. And Katy is spending her 41st birthday watching the Devil Wears Prada sequel with her closest friends. In this episode: The Tony Gonzalez scandal: what actually happened with his staffer, and why it's worse than you think Who is Brandon Herrera, her opponent? His YouTube channel, his Confederate ties, and his joke about veterans TX-23 geography: 800 miles of border, 26+ counties, and why you have to win both Bexar and the rural National support: Jamie Raskin's group, EMILY's List, MoveOn, and the Hispanic Caucus Gold Pack Running for Congress with four kids, including two she adopted The poll showing Katy within margin of error against Herrera despite Trump's +12 in the districtSupport Katy: Website: katyforcongress.com Socials: @katy4congress on Instagram, TikTok, and FacebookSupport the show:Love what we're doing? Become a member at patreon.com/missiontexaspodcast — just a few dollars a month keeps independent Texas media alive. And if you can't spare the cash, a five-star review goes just as far. God bless Texas. 🤠