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Katy Padilla Stout
Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative, District 23, Bexar County, Texas · Open seat
Attorney who represents children in foster care; former public school teacher
Katy Padilla Stout is a San Antonio attorney who represents children in the foster care system and has served on the Bexar County Child Welfare Board since 2017. Before law school she taught elementary school in Northside ISD. She won a four-way Democratic primary in March 2026 and is the Democratic nominee for Texas' 23rd Congressional District, the seat left open after Rep. Tony Gonzales left office; this is her first run for office.
Where Stout stands
- Border security
- Says the region needs "a functioning border," neither closed nor open, with security that keeps lawful commerce and cooperation with Mexico. Supports pathways to citizenship and border security that does not rely mainly on detention, deportation and physical barriers.
- Taxes, spending and regulation
- Opposes tax cuts for billionaires and supports a tax code she says would strengthen the middle class. Supports legislation limiting the President's power to impose tariffs on his own, and supports universal Pre-K and paid parental leave funded through existing unemployment insurance programs.
- Second Amendment
- Supports raising the minimum age to buy what she called "assault weapons" to 21 (stated in the October 13 debate).
- School safety
- Supports more funding for mental health services. In the debate she argued that adding armed security is not enough, pointing to the police response at the Uvalde shooting.
- Data centers
- Calls for a pause on building new data centers until Congress passes laws protecting water supplies, the electric grid and taxpayers. Questions large tax incentives given to developers in exchange for few permanent jobs.
- Health care
- Supports expanding Medicare to cover all Americans and, short of that, strengthening the Affordable Care Act. Supports expanding federal community health centers, investing in rural hospitals, and student loan forgiveness for doctors and nurses who work in rural facilities.
Background
- Graduated from Lee High School (NEISD), 2003
- B.S. in Education, University of Texas at Austin, 2007
- Teacher in Northside ISD (ESL, special education, gifted and talented)
- J.D., South Texas College of Law, 2013
- Attorney representing children in the foster care system
- Member, Bexar County Child Welfare Board, 2017–present
- Democratic nominee, U.S. House TX-23, after winning the March 2026 primary
In the news
- Meet Katy Padilla Stout, the former kindergarten teacher running against the 'manosphere' in TX23 San Antonio Report, October 18, 2026
- Herrera, Padilla Stout and Mendoza vie for Texas congressional seat vacated by Gonzales El Paso Matters, October 17, 2026
- Herrera and Padilla Stout clash over guns, border security and character in heated Texas 23rd CD debate Texas Public Radio, October 14, 2026
- Q&A: U.S. representative candidates for District 23 in Nov. 3 midterm election El Paso Matters, October 14, 2026
Also running for U.S. Representative, District 23
- Brandon Herrera Republican
- Ben Mendoza Independent
Sources
- San Antonio Report candidate questionnaire
- El Paso Matters candidate Q&A
- El Paso Matters race overview
- TPR debate coverage
- Big Bend Sentinel: border wall updates (Padilla Stout release)
- GunsAmerica debate recap
- TPR: Padilla Stout sees opening after GOP shake-up
Last researched October 22, 2026. Written in neutral language from the sources above. Spot an error? See how to report it.