Second Amendment advocate and gun meme enjoyer Brandon "AK Guy" Herrera could soon be considered a Distinguished Gentleman from Texas on Capitol Hill. 

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ernest "Tony" Gonzales, who was set to face Herrera in a May runoff election to be the Republican candidate for the solidly red 23rd Congressional District of Texas, abruptly dropped out of the race on Thursday. 

"After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had in my district,” Gonzales said in the statement. 

The lawmaker, on his third term in Congress, has been plagued by allegations of misconduct with a former aide who died by suicide last September, and several members of his caucus have publicly advised him to step down.   

With the run-off avoided, this queues up Herrera for the November ballot, where he would face Democratic candidate Katy Padilla Stout, an attorney and former teacher whose campaign website says she supports "universal background checks, a ban on bump stocks, and red-flag laws that work." 

Stretching across 15 counties in southwest Texas, the 23rd District is mostly rural and has the seat his been held by a Republican since 2015. The 2024 general election saw 180,000 voters – 62 percent – turn out for the GOP candidate, Gonzales, while the Democrat contender only had 109,000. 

"I appreciate Tony Gonzales for making the appropriate decision," said Herrera late Thursday on social media. "I look forward to being the voice of TX23 that our district deserves. From the border, to oil theft, water rights, data centers, and many other issues. It’s an honor to be chosen and together we will make Texas proud."