Herrera, who won the most votes in the Republican primary for the seat, avoided a runoff when incumbent Rep. Tony Gonzales dropped out of the race amid an affair scandal.

Cedric Ricks, who was found guilty in 2014 of the double murder, is the second inmate the state has executed in 2026.

The family, including the mother and her five children, detail in letters what they describe as neglectful medical care, inedible food and a disregard for their religious accommodations. They’ve been imprisoned at the nation’s only family detention center for more than nine months and are believed to be the longest held there.