AIPAC launches ad blitz against Brandon Herrera, challenger to Rep. Tony Gonzales

Making its second intervention into a contested GOP primary, the AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project super PAC is starting an ad campaign against Brandon Herrera, the social media influencer challenging moderate Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) in a Republican primary runoff.

The campaign against Herrera, a $1 million, two-week ad buy, is reflective of UDP’s increasing involvement against GOP candidates it views as potentially damaging to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Herrera is the third Republican candidate UDP has targeted in recent weeks.

UDP’s anti-Herrera adcondemns a joke that Herrera made on a podcast appearance about veteran suicide, and states that he “glorifies Nazis and mocks the Holocaust,” highlighting a video first reported by JI.

“Now, Brandon Herrera is running for Congress?” the ad’s narrator says, over the sound of laughter from the podcast appearance. “That joke would be on all of us.”

Herrera has posted videos replete with Nazi and Holocaust imagery, songs and jokes — as well as other controversial content. He also said he would have voted against supplemental aid to Israel and other U.S. allies.

“I would absolutely vote AGAINST the new proposed spending package for $95+ billion for foreign conflicts, while spending $0 on our southern border,” Herrera said in one recent post on X. “Any Republican who claims to be America first CANNOT vote for America last legislation. Why is it the US’ responsibility to pay?”

Asked by another user whether he would pledge to end foreign aid, including to Israel, Herrera reiterated that position.

“We can’t claim to be ‘America First’ while pushing spending bills like the most recent foreign aid package that gave almost $100 billion to every country except the US,” he said. “We have massive problems here we HAVE to address before we spend another dime trying to fix the world.”

The latter post came in response to a question posed by a follower of white supremacist influencer Nick Fuentes. Recent posts and re-posts by the user are almost exclusively by and about Fuentes.

“This is a race between an incumbent with a strong record on Israel and Brandon Herrera, who has clearly out-of-the-mainstream views on the U.S.-Israel relationship,” UDP spokesperson Patrick Dorton told Jewish Insider.

Gonzales, a moderate Republican and military veteran, has been a strong supporter of Israel.