Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is bringing his national political operation to Texas — and Brandon Herrera is one of its first announced targets.
Pritzker’s newly launched Ready for the Fight PAC plans to spend at least $20 million this fall helping Democratic candidates in congressional races around the country, including targeting Herrera with advertising in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
The entire $20 million is not earmarked for TX-23. But Herrera’s inclusion among the PAC’s first targets puts the district squarely in Pritzker’s opening push.
For Texas gun owners, Pritzker’s record makes that involvement especially significant.
Pritzker’s Gun-Control Record Meets Stout’s Agenda
Pritzker has spent years signing major gun-control measures in Illinois.
In 2023, he signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act, banning the purchase of many commonly owned semiautomatic firearms Illinois classifies as “assault weapons” and restricting so-called “high-capacity” magazines. Owners who already possessed covered firearms were required to file an endorsement affidavit with the Illinois State Police to continue legally possessing them.
Pritzker previously signed legislation expanding background checks to all gun sales in Illinois and strengthening the state’s FOID system. He later signed the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act, creating new civil-liability provisions affecting firearm manufacturers and sellers.
Herrera’s Democratic opponent, Katy Padilla Stout, supports several of the same types of restrictions.
Stout supports universal background checks, an expansion of the NICS gun-ban registry that would require covered private firearm transactions to go through an FFL with a Form 4473 and NICS check. Her campaign also backs a bump-stock ban and red-flag gun confiscation laws.
Stout has also earned the endorsement of GIFFORDS PAC, one of the nation’s most prominent gun-control organizations.
The connection is hard to miss: a governor with an extensive anti-gun record is now directing national resources into a Texas congressional district where the Democratic nominee supports universal gun registration, red-flag gun confiscation and additional federal firearm restrictions.
The Same Gun-Control Push Extends Statewide
The overlap doesn’t stop at TX-23.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is campaigning on universal gun registration, firearm-storage mandates around children and raising the purchasing age for certain semiautomatic rifles.
And Talarico has gone further.
During a September NewsNation interview, Talarico was asked whether he could support a federal ban on so-called “assault weapons” or magazines targeted as “large-capacity.”
“Depending on the details of the legislation, yes,” Talarico responded.
Asked directly whether an “assault weapons” ban remained on the table, his answer was “Absolutely.”
GIFFORDS PAC has endorsed Talarico as well, citing his support for expanded background checks, firearm-storage mandates and raising the minimum purchasing age for semiautomatic firearms.
The overlap is unmistakable: expanded gun registration, gun confiscation measures and additional restrictions on firearms Texas Gun Rights has fought against for years.
Herrera Put His Position in Writing
Herrera has taken a dramatically different position on those issues.
His campaign says he will support national concealed-carry reciprocity and oppose federal Red Flag laws and new firearm restrictions.
But Herrera did more than put pro-Second Amendment language on a campaign website.
Herrera returned the Texas Gun Rights Candidate Survey 100% pro-gun, putting his commitment to the Second Amendment in writing under TXGR’s survey standards.
That distinction matters.
Campaign rhetoric is easy.
A written commitment creates a record.
Texas Gun Rights uses its candidate survey to force politicians to answer specific questions on the Second Amendment before they hold power — then keeps those answers on file so gun owners can compare campaign promises against future votes and actions.
“Texas gun owners deserve more than campaign slogans,” said Texas Gun Rights President Chris McNutt. “Our candidate survey puts politicians on the record in writing so gun owners know exactly what they promised — and so we can hold them accountable when the votes start coming.”
Put More Candidates on the Record
Texas Gun Rights’ candidate-survey and accountability programs are powered by grassroots gun owners.
Every survey sent, every written commitment preserved and every anti-gun record exposed gives Texas gun owners more information about the politicians seeking power over their Second Amendment rights.
Chip in today to help Texas Gun Rights put MORE candidates on the record, expose anti-gun politicians and candidates, and expand our Second Amendment education, grassroots lobbying and accountability programs before the 2026 midterm election.
