Cookies, liquor and mocking Nazis fuel final stretch in fiery Texas House race

A Texas Democratic congressional candidate's campaign reported more than $4,300 in spending on cookies, Mexican restaurant purchases and beer and wine earlier this year, according to federal election records, drawing renewed attention after a heated debate in which she apologized for a remark about her Republican opponent "making fun of Nazis."Katy Padilla Stout, the Democrat nominee for Texas' 23rd Congressional District, reported expenditures totaling $4,338.14 across five transactions in March and April, according to spending details cited in an August report by RedState and records attributed to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).The reported purchases included $675 for cookies for a campaign event, $1,289.22 at Total Wine and $2,373.92 at Las Guitarras Cocina Mexicana.SENATE REPUBLICAN SETTLES SIX-YEAR-OLD CAMPAIGN BILL AFTER BEING CALLED OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIATexas Democratic congressional candidate Katy Padilla Stout holds a "Save Big Bend" community update at a Denny's restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday, Sept.11, 2026.
She is running against Republican Brandon Herrera in Texas' 23rd Congressional District.(CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag)The expenditures have also become a line of attack for Republican Brandon Herrera, whose campaign website showcases the cookie purchase and accuses Stout of using donor funds to pay for the treats.According to the spending details, the campaign reported a $675 payment dated March 30 with the stated purpose "COOKIES FOR EVENT." Herrera's website identifies the payee as Denise Gamboa Zelle and categorizes the expense as a campaign event expenditure.Additional transactions included $1,089.08 at Total Wine on April 21 and $200.14 the following day, both described as "BEER AND WINE."The campaign also reported payments of $2,027.52 and $346.40 to Las Guitarras Cocina Mexicana on April 27 and April 28, respectively, according to the transaction details.In a statement to Fox News Digital, Stout said the disbursements "we...