Brandon Herrera is back in the ring. The YouTuber better known as “The AK Guy” announced he’s running again for Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, and this time it’s personal: he’s challenging a Republican incumbent who voted for gun control. I’m Lance Rankin, owner of Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas, and while I sell guns rather than endorse candidates for a living, this race is worth watching for anyone who cares about the Second Amendment.
Why he’s running
Herrera’s argument is simple accountability: a Republican who votes for gun control should face a primary challenge, same as anyone else who votes against the base that elected him. He came close in his last run at this seat, and he’s made clear he intends to see it through this time.
He’s also candid about who’s backing him. In the interview above, he credits Gun Owners of America for real, on-the-ground support in his previous campaign and says he hopes for the same again. He draws a sharp line between groups that show up and groups that mostly send fundraising letters. I’ll let readers draw their own conclusions about which organizations fall where, but the distinction he’s making is one a lot of gun owners have arrived at on their own.
What he wants to pass
Two priorities stand out from his platform. First, national reciprocity, so a carry permit works across state lines the way a driver’s license does. Anyone who’s read my posts on the Texas LTC knows the current state-by-state patchwork is a legal minefield for travelers, so I understand the appeal. Second, repealing the National Firearms Act outright. He points out that the NFA transfer tax has already been cut to zero, and argues the registration scheme itself should go next. As a Type 07 FFL and SOT who processes suppressor paperwork for customers regularly, I can confirm the zeroed tax was a genuine win, and I’d shed no tears over less paperwork.
Why it matters beyond one district
Whatever happens in TX-23, the signal travels. If a sitting Republican can lose a primary over a gun control vote, every incumbent in a red district will do that math before the next vote comes up. If he can’t, the opposite lesson gets learned. That’s the real stake here, and it’s bigger than one YouTuber’s campaign.
As of this writing the race is still in progress, so check current news for where things stand. Wherever you land on Herrera himself, pay attention to how your own representatives vote on gun issues, and remember that primaries are where that accountability actually happens.
Lance Rankin is the owner and Chief Gunsmith of Western Sport, a family-run Type 07 FFL and Class 3/SOT dealer in Roanoke, Texas, serving shooters since 2007. Born and raised in Texas with over 50 years of experience handling firearms, Lance purchased Western Sport in 2017 and turned his lifelong passion into his profession. He specializes in AR-15 and AR-10 platform rifles, manufactures Western Sport’s own AR-15 line under the Rankin Industries brand, and runs the shop’s in-house Cerakote coating operation. When he’s not behind the counter or the workbench, you’ll find him on his ranch deep into the night, hunting coyotes with an AR-15 and thermal optics. Lance holds an MBA and personally shoots and tests the products Western Sport sells.
