Category: Elections

Congressional Candidate Brandon Herrera to Address GRPC in September

The Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) planning committee has announced that Second Amendment advocate and Congressional candidate Brandon Herrera will address the crowd at this year’s event.

Co-hosted by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), the 41st annual GRPC is scheduled for Sept. 25 – 27 in Dallas at the Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport hotel.

After pursuing studies in pre-law, Herrera started a small business in firearms manufacturing. Using his lifelong passion for firearms, he built his business, as well as a large social media following, accumulating over half a billion views using entertainment to promote firearm safety and Second Amendment advocacy. Herrera has become a leader in the industry and continues to work with pro-freedom groups both in the Second Amendment and America First communities and is an advocate for our military and veterans.

In addition to Herrera, other GRPC speakers include:

  • Robert Cekada, Director of the ATF
  • Robert Leider, ATF Chief Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel
  • Jared Yanis, host of Guns & Gadgets YouTube channel
  • Joseph Greenlee, Director of the Office of Litigation Counsel at the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action
  • Kenyon Gleason, president of National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers
  • Shermichael Singleton, political consultant, television anchor, CNN analyst
  • Jeff Folloder, Executive Director, NFA Trade and Collectors Association
  • Chris Boeck, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer at Silencer Shop
  • Fernando Nava, Second Amendment advocate and owner of Rusty Wheel Ranch
  • Cam Edwards, editor of BearingArms.com and host of Cam & Company podcast
  • John Petrolino, writer, firearms instructor, and author of Decoding Firearms: An Easy to Read Guide on Basic Gun Safety & Use
  • And many more!

The full GRPC agenda is guaranteed to be packed with leading 2A experts, legal minds, and grassroots advocates – all working together to protect and strengthen our Second Amendment rights. In addition to GRPC, registrants also have the unique opportunity to take part in AMM-Con, Friday’s pre-conference event. Scheduled for Friday, Sept. 25, AMM-Con is a gathering of some of the top Second Amendment media who provide educational presentations about all things related to 2A media.

Visit SAF.org/grpc for registration and hotel information.

Echoes of Joe Biden: James Talarico Says Second Amendment ‘Not Absolute’

During an appearance on the Unity Over Division podcast, U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D) echoed Joe Biden by saying the Second Amendment is “not absolute.”

Talarico said, “I believe in the Second Amendment just as much as I believe in the First. We have a right to bear arms to protect ourselves, our families. We have a right to own weapons for sport or for hunting. But like any freedom in the Bill of Rights, it’s not absolute.”

Breitbart News reported that on February 26, 2020, during a CNN Town Hall, Biden argued that the Second Amendment was not “absolute.”

He followed the Town Hall with a post to X in which he elaborated: “I taught constitutional law for a long time and here’s the deal: No amendment is absolute. There are limits.”

Talarico stressed what he believes are limits on other constitutionally protected rights as well. For example, he told Unity Over Division, “You have a freedom to assemble, to protest, but you need a permit.”

The First Amendment does not mention a need for a permit. Rather, the amendment says, “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble …”

Montanans Once Again Reject Gun Control Cheerleader at the Ballot Box

By Larry Keane

OPINION: It’s the same story all over again. Montana voters, who overwhelmingly revere their Second Amendment rights and rich hunting traditions, again rejected one of the more outspoken proponents for gun control as he tried again to win their approval and elected office.

Ryan Busse, the former firearm industry executive who’s now a staunch gun control activist working for GIFFORDS Courage to Fight Gun Violence, tried to sell his “I support the Second Amendment, but …” position to Montana voters to secure the Democratic nomination for the open Congressional seat following U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke’s (R-Mont.) announcement that he will not seek reelection in November.

Montana voters said, “No thanks — we’re just not that into you.”

In the Democratic primary for the First District Congressional seat, Montana voters kicked Busse to the curb and instead chose Sam Forstag as their nominee.

Rejection on Repeat

For Busse, this wasn’t the first time Montana voters turned him down. He thought he could win over Montana voters in his run for the governor’s mansion. But he lost his gubernatorial bid to Gov. Greg Gianforte by nearly 20 percent. Montana voters roundly rejected his platform that included implementing strict gun control laws like banning Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) — highly popular in the Big Sky State among both men and women.

It doesn’t take a political genius to recognize that’s a really tough position to sell to voters in the state with the highest percentage of gun owners per capita in the entire country.

For his part, the outgoing Rep. Zinke has been a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment and firearm industry that makes the exercise of those Constitutional rights to keep and bear arms possible for tens of millions of Americans. Rep. Zinke earned an A+ in the 2024 NSSF Congressional Report Card. In that regard, Rep. Zinke and Busse were already as far apart on Second Amendment issues as Montana is wide.

Busse, on the other hand, spent 25 years working for a firearm manufacturer, during which span they produced more than 2.3 million rifles, pistols and revolvers. After that, he did a 180 and went and took a hefty paycheck from the national gun control group GIFFORDS. THe national gun control group still has the press release up announcing Busse was joining as a “senior advisor,” and he parlayed that role into multiple television appearances and media opportunities to push an antigun agenda more in line with Fudds than true Montana ranchers and outdoorsmen and women. He hawked his self flagellating book that was just Busse marketing Busse about his supposed “Saul-to-Paul” conversion to gun control.

It wasn’t surprising then that many Montana voters rejected him once again. It’s time he put his political ambitions out to pasture.

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Eric S. Raymond

Ken Paxton’s victory in Texas has, I think, interesting implications for the national political scene.

Coming on top of a string of similar events, this is very bad news for anybody who wants to think MAGA is declining in influence or Trump is a spent force.

I’m not MAGA – I’m too libertarian and insufficiently populist to fit – so I can analyze this without my wishes interfering with my vision.

There have been a lot of very determined attempts to fragment the MAGA base and attempt to drive a wedge between them and the Trumpster. I see this on X and other social media – lots of indignant blithering about Israel and the Iran war that seems very light on substance and very heavy on attempting to fracture the Republican coalition.

I don’t think it’s working. Tonight is evidence that Trump’s endorsement matters, and the base is not kindly disposed towards any Republican pol who’s perceived as not being on his team.

Perform your strategic calculations accordingly.

Backstabbing gungrabber Cornyn beaten in the Texas Primary Runoff Election by Paxton. The “Curse of the Gunnies” still works.

In Texas runoff, Ken Paxton beats Sen. John Cornyn for GOP US Senate nomination

PLANO, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, easily defeating four-term Sen. John Cornyn in the latest contest where President Donald Trump sought to oust an incumbent he saw as not sufficiently loyal.

Trump endorsed Paxton last week, calling him a “true MAGA warrior.” Paxton’s victory in Tuesday’s runoff makes Cornyn — who was first elected to the Senate in 2002 — the first Republican senator from Texas to lose the party’s nomination for reelection.

Cheers rang through the ballroom at Paxton’s election night party when the race was called, as the stage filled with supporters holding Paxton campaign signs.

Paxton took the stage to chants of “Ken, Ken, Ken,” and he quickly gave credit to Trump.

“When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen,” Paxton said. “President Trump is the leader of our party, and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics.”

Cornyn’s loss followed primaries this month where Trump successfully backed challengers to Republican incumbents in Louisiana, Kentucky and Indiana, a sign of his enduring influence among primary voters. He has sought to punish Republicans he feels aren’t supportive enough of his agenda.

In stark contrast to Paxton’s celebrations, Cornyn gave a short concession speech tinged with emotion to a room of only reporters.

“Tonight we’ve come up short,” Cornyn said, adding that he’d support Paxton in the general election. “I’ve always supported the Republican ticket and I intend to do so again.”

Cornyn said in 2023 as Trump was running to return to the White House that his time “has passed him by,” a statement that came back to bite him. He also was an early critic of Trump’s plan for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico — a project he now supports.

Cornyn’s campaign and allied groups spent roughly $109 million on advertising for the March 3 primary and Tuesday’s runoff. He had the backing of Senate GOP leaders who said he would be the stronger general election candidate against Democratic nominee state Rep. James Talarico in November.

Democrats see Talarico as a rare opportunity to win a statewide race in Texas, which isn’t lost on Paxton.

“Without a shadow of a doubt, I will be the Democrats’ number one target in November,” he said in his victory speech, along with an attack on Talarico.

Tuesday’s runoffs also will decide Democratic U.S. House nominees for districts in Dallas and Houston that overwhelmingly support Democrats, and a San Antonio-area seat the party wants to flip.

The primary was long and costly

Cornyn led Paxton in the March primary but failed to win a majority. That was after Cornyn and his supporters waged a monthslong ad campaign, mostly attacking Paxton over ethical and personal questions. The two-term attorney general was acquitted on corruption charges in a 2023 impeachment trial, where allegations of extramarital affairs surfaced. Paxton’s wife filed for divorce last year, citing “biblical grounds.”

The alliance of pro-Cornyn groups continued its attack, outspending Paxton’s campaign and two allied super PACs $16.5 million to $5.9 million since March 3, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.

Trump promised to endorse immediately after the primary but didn’t act until after early voting began last week.

“Ken Paxton has gone through a lot, in many cases, very unfairly, but he is a Fighter, and knows how to win,” Trump wrote in a social media post endorsing him.

David Jacobson, a retired 70-year-old Dallas-area resident, said Trump’s endorsement was a factor in his decision to back Paxton on Tuesday. While Cornyn has for the most part been a strong Trump supporter, Jacobson generally thinks most politicians have remained in office too long.

“Maybe it’s time for a change,” he said after voting near Dallas.

Linda Williams said she voted for Cornyn, calling him “the lesser of two evils.” She thinks Cornyn has a better chance to beat Talarico this fall.

“Because Paxton is a crook,” Williams said after voting in Plano, outside Dallas.

Trump snubbed Cornyn amid retribution campaign

Trump, in his endorsement, poked at Cornyn, saying he “was not supportive of me when times were tough” and that “John was very late in backing me.”

Cornyn said Tuesday on Fox News Radio’s “The Brian Kilmeade Show” that the president’s ire was misplaced. There are “grifters,” he said, “claiming that I am opposed to the president’s agenda, and I think that’s caused some confusion with the president himself. But I’ve been supportive.”

Some GOP strategists have argued that a Paxton nomination would cost millions of dollars more to promote in the fall, when money could be spent defending Republican seats in more competitive states. Democrats need to gain a net of four seats to take the majority. Cornyn had the support of Senate GOP leaders.

Democrats also will choose US House nominees

Newly elected Rep. Christian Menefee defeated veteran Rep. Al Green in Texas’ 18th District, dispatching a longtime House incumbent who was one of Trump’s most outspoken critics. The Republican-led Texas Legislature redrew the district when it approved a new House map last year. The new map led to a runoff between incumbents and marks the end of a dizzying series of elections in the Houston area.

Former Rep. Colin Allred and U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson are competing in the Dallas-area 33rd District. Johnson was elected to the seat in 2024, the year Allred lost his U.S. Senate challenge to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Allred was running for Senate again this cycle but dropped his bid and instead is looking to return to the House.

Near San Antonio, Democratic leaders are trying to prevent Maureen Galindo, who has expressed antisemitic views, from winning the party’s runoff with Johnny Garcia. While Texas lawmakers redrew the 35th District to help Republicans, Democrats view it as within reach and don’t want Galindo’s past comments to impede them.

Stephen L. Miller

This is one of the keys of his campaign. Nonprofits pay a lot of people to not solve the problem they claim to be solving. Remember when Mr. Beast went to Africa and built two clean water wells, and the NGO nonprofits over there criticized him for it, as some white savior complex or something. He instantly solved the problem they claimed they were advocating and working on.

If you tackle and dent or even solve rampant homelessness, a lot of people lose their jobs and a lot of the funding and donations cease and that’s why there’s a sudden flood of negative media going his way. They aren’t scared of him winning. But they are scared that once people realize problems can be solved, a whole lot of the slush funding dries up.

Missouri High Court Smacks Down Redistricting Challenge – and Referendum End Run

We’ve got some big news out of the Show-Me State on Tuesday with Missouri’s Supreme Court ruling in not one, but two redistricting-related cases — in both instances issuing a decision that effectively locks in place the 7R-1D map (pursuant to HB 1, passed by the state legislature in September 2025) for the 2026 midterm elections, constituting a pickup of one seat for Republicans.

The court heard oral argument in both cases on Tuesday morning and issued unanimous decisions in both cases on Tuesday afternoon, making it clear that courts are not political map-drawing commissions — and that referendum activists don’t get to suspend laws merely by dropping boxes of signatures at the secretary of state’s office.

Here’s what was decided today:

First, in the consolidated cases of Healey v. Missouri and Wise v. Missouri, the challengers sought to have the 2025 map declared unconstitutional on the basis that it violated the compactness requirement of Article III, Section 45 of the state’s constitution. Specifically, they contended that the new configuration of the state’s 4th, 5th, and 6th Districts (in and around the Kansas City area) violates the requirement.

But as the court notes in its decision:

The map “is assumed to be constitutional and will not be held unconstitutional unless the plaintiff proves that it clearly and undoubtedly contravenes the constitution.”

 

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An Interview with The AK Guy, GOP Candidate for U.S. House, Brandon Herrera

By Lee Williams

SAF Investigative Journalism Project

Special to Liberty Park Press

Brandon Herrera, the GOP’s official candidate for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, may know more about guns and gun rights than any member of Congress.

Herrera, who’s known as “The AK Guy,” has millions of followers on X, YouTube, and Instagram, who tune him in regularly for two reasons: He knows what he’s talking about and he’s entertaining as hell.

Perhaps President Donald J. Trump said it best in his recent endorsement:

“Today I am endorsing America First Patriot, Brandon Herrera, who is running to represent the wonderful people of Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. Brandon is strongly supported by many Highly Respected MAGA Warriors in Texas, and Republicans in the U.S. House. As your next Congressman, he will work tirelessly to advance our MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN Agenda. Brandon will fight hard to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Safeguard our Elections, Champion School Choice, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Brave Military, Veterans, and Law Enforcement, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment. Brandon Herrera has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Texas’ 23rd Congressional District — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN,” President Trump posted on social media.

Recently, Herrera took some time answering questions about his life, candidacy and the Second Amendment.

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Trump Says He Won’t Sign Any New Legislation Until the SAVE Act Is Passed

President Donald Trump has signaled that the SAVE America Act is now the single greatest legislative priority ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. He announced Sunday morning on Truth Social that he would not be signing any other bills until the Senate forces the election integrity bill through the gridlock of the silent filibuster.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said that he is completely fine with shutting the Senate down, and that Democrats pass the bill to secure American elections under end circumstances. Polling numbers have shown that Democrats are wildly opposed to the will of even their own voters, as a new poll has shown that half of Democrat voters support voter ID measures. The poll showed that nearly 70 percent of independents want these common sense measures as well.

The bill is such a high priority for Republicans that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton indicated that he would be willing to suspend his campaign against Sen. John Cornyn if GOP leadership would end the silent filibuster to pass the SAVE Act.

Gun Rights Turncoat John Cornyn Can’t Seal the Deal in the Texas GOP Senate Primary.

In Tuesday’s primary in Texas, Republican voters delivered a stinging slap to long-time incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn.  Despite drowning in establishment cash, wielding decades of name recognition, and boasting endorsements from the old guard, Cornyn couldn’t seal the deal in the three-way race.

He finished with barely over 40% of the vote, just ahead of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Meanwhile Rep. Wesley Hunt came in a distant third. No outright winner, but the message was clear: Cornyn’s Senate throne, thought to be untouchable, is perilously close to being lost. A May 26 runoff with Paxton now looms as quite possibly his political funeral.

Texas Republican primary results
NBC News

What hurt him most? In addition to his GOPe reputation, his stance on guns has been his Achilles heel. Cornyn’s unforgivable 2022 betrayal of gun owners was top of mind for Texas GOP voters. After Uvalde, he threw in with prominent gun-hater Chris Murphy to co-author the disastrous Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

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Arkansas dad on trial for killing daughter’s rapist wins GOP primary for county sheriff

A man who is currently awaiting trial on a murder charge in the death of his daughter’s alleged rapist has now won the Republican primary for county sheriff in Arkansas.

Aaron Spencer bested incumbent John Staley in the Tuesday primary for Lonoke County sheriff. Unofficial results show Spencer received more than 53 percent of the vote, according to the Associated Press.

Spencer is currently awaiting trial in the shooting death of 67-year-old Michael Foster, who had been charged with multiple sexual offenses involving Spencer’s teenage daughter and was out on bond at the time of the killing.

Spencer has pleaded not guilty and is free on bond while awaiting trial. His legal team has not denied that he shot Foster but has argued that Spencer acted within the confines of the law to protect his child. The trial was scheduled for January but was delayed after the presiding judge was removed from the case.

If convicted of the killing, Spencer would be unable to serve as sheriff.

During his campaign, Spencer focused on failures in law enforcement. In a post last month, he said that if elected, he would create a team dedicated to combating sex crimes against children.

In a statement following the primary, Staley said, “Congratulations to Mr. Spencer. Tonight the voters made their decision in the Republican Primary, and I respect the decision.” Staley’s department arrested Spencer in 2024 in connection with the shooting.

Spencer will now face Democratic candidate Brian Mitchell Sr. in the general election. Lonoke County is a heavily Republican county.

In October of 2024, Spencer found his daughter missing from his home and searched for her in his truck, where he found her in the passenger seat of a vehicle that Foster was driving. Spencer allegedly forced Foster off the highway and later called 911 to report he had fired shots.

Brandon is an utterly rabid pro-RKBA person who advised if he was made head of ATF, he would – among other antibureaucrap things – institute continuing amnesties for any and all NFA firearms

Gun Rights Activist Brandon Herrera Forces Rep. Gonzales Into Texas GOP Runoff

One of the most closely watched Republican primaries in the country has turned into a political earthquake in South Texas. Gun-rights activist and firearms manufacturer Brandon Herrera has forced incumbent Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) into a runoff election in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, signaling deep dissatisfaction among grassroots conservatives and Second Amendment voters.

With nearly all votes counted in the March 3 Republican primary, Gonzales and Herrera each captured enough of the vote, leaving neither candidate above the 50-percent threshold required to win outright under Texas election law.

The result sends the race to a May 26 runoff, where Republican voters will decide whether to renominate the incumbent or replace him with one of the most recognizable gun-rights voices in the country.

For many gun owners, the race has become a referendum on the direction of the Republican Party—and whether Congress will have members willing to unapologetically defend the Second Amendment.

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Be still my beating heart…..

BLUF:
We cease to be a republic if we permit perpetual foreign interference in our election system, dilute the political power of American citizens, and fuel the systematic evisceration of our sovereignty by granting political representation to those not entitled to it.

If SCOTUS Bans Illegals From The Census, Dems Could Lose Power For Years

Census figures used for congressional apportionment, redistricting, and redistributing federal funds have historically counted illegal aliens.

There are many drivers behind the new nullification crisis that the left is stoking over immigration, but perhaps the most significant political one is that the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy poses a greater threat to Democrat Party power than perhaps any other single initiative.

If federal authorities were to successfully remove millions of illegal aliens from the country, some estimates suggest it would result in the reallocation of nearly a dozen House seats and electoral college votes. Billions of dollars in taxpayer funding would be redirected out of blue states and into red ones.

That is because the census figures used for congressional apportionment, redistricting, and redistributing federal funds have historically counted all residents including illegal aliens. On balance, this has benefited Democrat-led states — where such populations are largely though not exclusively concentrated — over Republican-led ones.

The projected outmigration of citizens from blue to red states would compound the negative effect of the deportations for Democrats as we head towards the 2030 census, potentially swinging control of the House and the presidency in Republicans’ favor going forward.

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Tim Walz drops out of Minnesota governor’s race amid fraud scandal

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has ended his reelection bid amid mounting pressure over a fraud scandal that has engulfed his administration in recent weeks.

The move comes days after a handful of Republican state lawmakers asked Walz to leave office, citing reports from a U.S. Attorney that, since 2018, at least half of the $18 billion paid through Minnesota’s 14 Medicaid waiver programs could be fraudulent, and after Republicans in Congress called on Walz to testify about his failure to address the crisis.

Walz, the former vice presidential candidate on Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, cited the growing pressure as one of the reasons for his decision to leave the race, though he pushed back on claims that he has not adequately attempted to curb the crisis.

“As I reflected on this moment with my family and my team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I can’t give a political campaign my all,” he said.

“So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work,” Walz continued in the statement.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, head of the Democratic Governor’s association, commended Walz’ leadership and reasserted his confidence that, “no matter who decides to run,” Democrats would win the state in the 2026 governor’s race. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan group that analyzes state, federal and presidential elections, labels the Minnesota race as “likely Democrat.”

Walz has scheduled a news conference Jan. 5 at 1 p.m. ET to address his decision.

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