Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords and Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar on Wednesday threw their support behind San Antonio attorney and child advocate Katy Padilla Stout in her run to represent Texas' 23rd Congressional District as a Democrat.

The endorsements from Giffords, a prominent gun violence prevention advocate, and Salazar, who has served as the county's top law enforcement officer since 2020, are among the highest-profile yet picked up by Padilla Stout, a former school teacher and political novice.

Sign up Padilla Stout is taking on Republican Brandon Herrera - a Second Amendment activist and social media personality with a history of controversial statements - in the race to represent the district, which stretches from San Antonio's West Side to El Paso and includes Uvalde, the site of the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.