Brandon Herrera
Herrera in 2025
Born
Brandon Joseph Herrera

(1995-11-20) November 20, 1995 (age 30)
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S.
Other names TheAKGuy
Education Campbell University (attended)
Political party Republican
YouTube information
Channels
Years active 2014–present
Genre Firearms/Weaponry
Subscribers 4.19 million (main channel)
Views 808 million (main channel)
Last updated: March 5, 2026

Brandon Joseph Herrera (born November 20, 1995), also known as The AK Guy, is an American YouTuber, firearms manufacturer, and political candidate, whose videos primarily focus on firearms.

Herrera was a candidate in the race to represent Texas's 23rd congressional district in 2024, but lost by approximately 1 percentage point to incumbent Tony Gonzales in the Republican primary runoff.[1] He announced his second candidacy for the Republican nomination in 2026, becoming the presumptive nominee after Gonzales withdrew from the runoff.[2]

Early life

Brandon Herrera was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to a family originating from Texas.[3] Both his parents are military veterans. Herrera attended Campbell University, where he studied pre-law, before dropping out to run his firearms manufacturing business.[4]

Career

YouTube

Started in 2014, Herrera's YouTube channel focuses on testing and reviewing firearms.[5] Subjects of his videos include tests of antique and military weapons, such as the AK-47 and RPG-7; discussions about gun laws and politics; and a series recreating the assassinations of public figures, including John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.[4] His videos often feature guests who have served in the military; Herrera himself is not a military veteran.[6]

On October 16, 2022, Herrera collaborated with Kyle Rittenhouse in Rittenhouse's first ever YouTube video after Rittenhouse launched his own channel dedicated to guns and Second Amendment rights.[7]

In 2024, Herrera released a rifle he and his team engineered called the AK-50, an AK-47 pattern rifle chambered in .50 BMG in order to blend the durability and power of the two separately.[8] The gun was later added to the video game Escape from Tarkov.[9]

In the aftermath of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, an alleged manifesto by the perpetrator referenced Herrera, stating the two had met at SHOT Show.[10] Herrera harshly condemned the shooting and perpetrator, stating that he and his friends who attended SHOT show have "zero recollection of ever meeting this creep."[11][12] The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the organizers of SHOT show, released a statement in which they detailed there is no record or evidence the shooter ever attended any year of the event.[13]

Politics

On March 19, 2024, Herrera spoke outside of the Colorado State Capitol to around 400 people and later testified inside to the Colorado Legislature against a proposed assault weapons ban.[14][15]

On July 7, 2025, Herrera appeared on Fox News to discuss the impact and effects of the July 2025 Central Texas floods.[16] Herrera has described himself as libertarian-leaning, often emphasizing gun rights and limited government, but has generally aligned himself with right-wing populists such as Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz. He also has appealed to anti-establishment voters in the primaries.[17][4] Herrera is also a staunch supporter of US President Donald Trump, having worked on the 2016 Trump campaign.[18]

2024 congressional election

Main article: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas § District 23
2024 GOP primary runoff results by county:
  Gonzales
  •   50–60% Gonzales
  •   60–70% Gonzales
  Herrera
  •   50–60% Herrera
  •   60–70% Herrera
  •   70–80% Herrera
  •   80–90% Herrera

In August 2023, Herrera, a Republican, announced he would run for the U.S. House to represent Texas's 23rd congressional district in 2024, citing a frustration in incumbent Tony Gonzales' votes and gun policy.[19] In the primary, Herrera received 25 percent of the vote, while Gonzales received 45 percent; as no candidate received more than 50 percent, a runoff was held between the two, where Herrera lost by 354 votes.[6][19][20] Herrera called for a recount, saying, "I don't expect the results to change, but I feel I owe it to my volunteers, voters, and supporters to leave no stone unturned."[21][22]

Several political action committees from outside of Texas donated millions of dollars to Gonzales' campaign against Herrera. The pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC ran an ad campaign accusing Herrera of joking about veteran suicide and having "glorified Nazis and mocked the Holocaust" in his YouTube videos.[23][24][25] A Politico article cited this ad campaign as an example of AIPAC strategically attacking certain candidates while supporting its endorsed ones, without mentioning Israel.[26] After the primary, U.S. Term Limits, a congressional term limits advocacy group, tapped Herrera to be their Texas chair.[27]

2026 congressional election

Main article: 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas § District 23

Herrera again announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in Texas' 23rd Congressional district in 2026; During the March 3, 2026, primary, Herrera forced Gonzales into a second runoff, this time coming in first with 43% to Gonzales' 41%.[28][29][30][31] Gonzales suspended his campaign two days after the primary, leaving Herrera the presumptive nominee.

In November 2025, Herrera announced his campaign had raised $1.1 million dollars for the primary, with over 33,000 small dollar donors contributing alongside his own PACs.[32] On February 18, 2026, Herrera called on Gonzales to exit the race and resign over an alleged affair with a former staffer who committed suicide in November after another former Gonzales staffer backed the rumors.[33]

Electoral history

2024

2024 United States House of Representatives election, District 23 (primary)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tony Gonzales (incumbent) 25,988 45.1
Republican Brandon Herrera 14,201 24.6
Republican Julie Clark 7,994 13.9
Republican Frank Lopez Jr. 6,266 10.9
Republican Victor Avila 3,181 5.5
Total votes 57,630 100.0
2024 United States House of Representatives election, District 23 (primary runoff)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tony Gonzales (incumbent) 15,023 50.6
Republican Brandon Herrera 14,669 49.4
Total votes 29,692 100.0

2026

2026 United States House of Representatives election, District 23 (primary) (99% reporting)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brandon Herrera 23,857 43.3
Republican Tony Gonzales (incumbent) 22,979 41.7
Republican Keith Barton 4,672 8.5
Republican Quico Canseco 3,554 6.5
Total votes 55,062 100

Criticism

Herrera's content often contains self-described dark and politically incorrect humor.[4] He co-hosts the Unsubscribe podcast (with three military veterans) that was described by the Houston Chronicle as displaying "offensive commentary or repeats racist stereotypes", such as an episode where he joked he was essentially a military veteran because he "often [thought] about putting a gun in [his] mouth".[17] Tony Gonzales criticized Herrera, saying that there was a "special place in hell for scum and villainy who mock veteran suicide".[5]

Herrera has posted several YouTube videos that have featured Nazi imagery and included jokes about Nazis and the Holocaust. In a 2020 video, Herrera played "Erika", "Grüne Teufel" (Green Devils), which is a modernized Fallschirmjäger variant of "SS Marschiert im Feindesland", and "Panzerlied" (Tank Song), with other Third Reich related songs in the background while covering firearms that were used by the Nazis; Herrera subsequently "liked" numerous comments praising his use of the Nazi marching songs in the video. In a 2022 video, he referred to the MP 40, a submachine gun developed by Nazi Germany, as the "original ghetto blaster". The video includes a montage of Herrera and an associate firing the weapon and "goose stepping" [sic] to "Erika".[34] Another video, covering historical weapons in the Rhodesian Bush War, featured the flag of Rhodesia, a symbol used by white nationalists.[35] Herrera responded to criticism, saying, "This should be obvious, but I am not, nor have I ever been a neo-Nazi."[6]

Since 2008[36], Herrera has also been a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a neo-Confederate organization that promotes the Lost Cause. Brandon Herrera's name is listed as a new member on the 2008 May/Jun issue of Confederate Veteran Magazine[36] and makes multiple appearances in his local chapter's social media site[37][38]. He appeared in welcome videos produced by the organization, where he referred to the American Civil War varyingly as the "War of Northern Aggression" and the "War for Southern Independence", and advertised the group's "annual Yankee shoot", where members used antique rifles to shoot at "posters of [their] favorite Yankees". Herrera's support for the Sons of Confederate Veterans organization was stated in the videos citing the need to preserve history, "because those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."[34][39]

References

  1. ^ "Texas 23rd Congressional District Primary Runoff Election Results". The New York Times. May 28, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  2. ^ Luchs, David (October 15, 2025). "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". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  3. ^ "Meet Brandon". Brandon Herrera for Congress. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Harris, Cayla (March 27, 2024). "San Antonio's 'AK Guy' is famous online. Can that take him to Congress over U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales?". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Choi, Matthew; Downey, Renzo (March 25, 2024). "Gun rights YouTuber Brandon Herrera gains momentum in race against U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Svitek, Patrick (May 2, 2024). "Texas runoff between Rep. Tony Gonzales and pro-gun YouTuber is key GOP test". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 12, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ^ Rogan, Adam (October 19, 2022). "Kyle Rittenhouse launches pro-2nd Amendment YouTube channel". Journal Times. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  8. ^ Peterson, John (December 4, 2024). "Brandon Herrera's AK-50 Is Finally Complete, And It Was Well Worth the Wait". Survival World. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  9. ^ Taylor-Hill, Grant (July 8, 2025). "Insane Escape from Tarkov Weapon Teased for 'Hardcore Wipe'". Insider Gaming. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  10. ^ Birenbaum, Gabby (August 27, 2025). "Minneapolis gunman appears to promote "Brandon Herrera for president" in video posted before shooting". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  11. ^ Bahari, Sarah (August 28, 2025). "Minneapolis shooter praised Texas congressional candidate in now-deleted video". Dallas News. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  12. ^ Wilburn, Caroline (August 27, 2025). "Suspected Minneapolis school shooter praised Texas congressional candidate in deleted video". Houston Chronicle.
  13. ^ Deliso, Meredith (August 28, 2025). "Minneapolis shooting suspect appears to praise gun rights activist Brandon Herrera in video". ABC News. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  14. ^ "Hundreds Protest, Testify Against So-Called 'Assault Weapons Ban' in Colorado".
  15. ^ "Bulletin: The Failure of Colorado's Assault Weapon Ban and the Rise of the AR-15".
  16. ^ "Texas resident describes 'shocking' impact of flash flooding: 'Breaking trees like toothpicks' | Fox News Video". Fox News. July 7, 2025. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  17. ^ a b Harris, Cayla (March 27, 2024). "Who is Brandon Herrera? What to know about the 'AK Guy' and YouTube star running for Congress". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  18. ^ "Issues". Brandon Herrera for Congress. Brandon Herrera Victory Committee. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  19. ^ a b Spriester, Steve; Barraza, Adam (May 23, 2024). "Tony Gonzales declares victory with 400 votes more than Brandon Herrera in GOP runoff for US Representative District 23". KSAT.
  20. ^ Choi, Matthew (May 29, 2024). "U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales prevails in primary runoff over gun influencer Brandon Herrera". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  21. ^ Downey, Renzo (June 6, 2024). "Brandon Herrera to request recount in primary runoff against U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  22. ^ Harris, Cayla (June 7, 2024). "'AK Guy' wants a recount in loss to U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  23. ^ "AIPAC launches ad blitz against Brandon Herrera, challenger to Rep. Tony Gonzales". Jewish Insider via Yahoo News. May 15, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  24. ^ Rod, Marc (May 15, 2024). "AIPAC launches ad blitz against Brandon Herrera, challenger to Rep. Tony Gonzales". Jewish Insider.
  25. ^ Choi, Matthew (April 16, 2024). "U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales vastly outraises challenger Brandon Herrera ahead of heated congressional runoff". The Texas Tribune.
  26. ^ Wu, Nicholas; Fernandez, Madison (May 17, 2024). "The most powerful pro-Israel group in American politics isn't... talking about Israel". POLITICO. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  27. ^ Velasco, Donna (July 25, 2024). "Brandon Herrera Tapped As Texas State Chair For U.S. Term Limits".
  28. ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/04/gonzales-herrera-texas-house-results-midterms-2026/
  29. ^ https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/04/politics/tony-gonzales-brandon-herrera-texas-results
  30. ^ https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/04/tony-gonzales-runoff-texas-gop-primary-00811372
  31. ^ https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-primary-elections/texas-us-house-district-23-results
  32. ^ Downey, Renzo (November 25, 2025). "Brandon Herrera raises $1 million, swipes at Rep. Tony Gonzales over alleged affair". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  33. ^ https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/18/tony-gonzales-staffer-fire-affair-text-brandon-herrera/
  34. ^ a b Rod, Marc (April 1, 2024). "Rep. Gonzales' right-wing GOP challenger posted videos featuring Nazi imagery, songs, jokes". Jewish Insider. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  35. ^ Jacobs, Ben (May 9, 2024). "Uvalde's Next Congressman Might Be a Gunfluencer". New York. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  36. ^ a b "Brandon Herrera's name appears in the list of new members inducted into the Sons of Confederate Veterans, North Carolina Chapter (2008 May/Jun issue, Page 41)". Confederate Veteran Magazine Archives. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  37. ^ "The Fayetteville Arsenal Camp Sons of Confederate Veterans Honor Guard paying the last respects for a Fellow Compatriot". Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  38. ^ "Brandon Herrera holding Sons of Confederate Veterans Banner". Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  39. ^ Harris, Cayla (April 2, 2024). "Texas congressional candidate Brandon Herrera posted video with Nazi imagery, jokes". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 17, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)