'My Fatass Didn't Lose a Congressional Race': Woman Brandon Herrera Body-Shamed Gets Last Laugh

Political campaigner Olivia Julianna has mocked gun-rights influencer Brandon Herrera after he lost his bid for Congress, reviving a remark he made about her weight earlier this year. Herrera was defeated by Democrat Katy Padilla Stout in the race for Texas's 23rd Congressional District on 3 November.

Julianna responded on X on Wednesday, 4 November, writing: 'MY FATASS DIDNT LOSE A CONGRESSIONAL RACE THO'. Her post echoed an insult Herrera had directed at her in March, turning his own comment back on him after his election defeat.

The exchange attracted attention because Herrera had entered the contest with a large online following and the backing of President Donald Trump. Padilla Stout's victory also flipped a district that had supported Trump by 15 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.

Julianna Turns Herrera's Insult Back On Him

Herrera, known online as 'The AK Guy', is a firearms manufacturer and YouTube personality whose channel has more than four million subscribers. His videos focus on guns and firearms culture, helping him build a sizeable online audience.

In a reply to one of Julianna's posts on 22 March, Herrera wrote: 'I can't tell if you took a break from overeating to write this.' Julianna's message on 4 November directly referenced that exchange, using the phrase 'my fatass' to point out that she had not lost a congressional election.

The post followed scrutiny of Herrera's previous online comments during the campaign. Padilla Stout and others highlighted derogatory remarks he had made about women, as well as jokes about the Holocaust, The Texas Tribune reported. Herrera has characterised some controversial statements as jokes and rejected accusations that he holds extremist or antisemitic views.

Padilla Stout Wins Texas Congressional Seat

Padilla Stout, a San Antonio attorney and former teacher, defeated Herrera in the 3 November election. The Associated Press called the race for Padilla Stout, who became the first Democrat to win the West Texas seat since 2012.

The district stretches across much of West Texas, between San Antonio and El Paso, and includes a significant portion of the US-Mexico border. It voted for Donald Trump by 15 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, making Padilla Stout's victory a notable Democratic gain.

The seat was previously held by Republican Tony Gonzales, who announced in March 2026 that he would not seek re-election after acknowledging an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. He formally resigned from Congress in April. Herrera had challenged Gonzales in the Republican primary and forced him into a runoff by fewer than 1,000 votes before Gonzales withdrew from his re-election campaign.

Herrera's Online Profile Could Not Secure Victory

Herrera campaigned as a staunch supporter of gun rights and received Trump's endorsement. His prominence on YouTube helped make him a nationally recognisable candidate, but his online following did not translate into enough votes to win the seat.

Unofficial results published by Ballotpedia showed Padilla Stout with 51.5 per cent of the vote, compared with 44.7 per cent for Herrera and 3.8 per cent for independent candidate Ben Mendoza. The figures remain subject to final certification.

Julianna's post focused on Herrera's defeat and the insult he had directed at her months earlier. By repeating the language of his original comment, she turned the personal attack into a pointed response after his unsuccessful congressional campaign.