Fort Bend County voters deepfake video — Oct 2026

The campaign for Fort Bend County Judge candidate Daniel Wong faced significant public backlash after sharing an AI-generated video on social media that depicted Black voters expressing support for his candidacy. The video, which was subsequently deleted by the campaign, featured individuals claiming that Wong had provided them with jobs, food, and financial assistance.

What happened

The video consisted of a series of AI-generated clips showing Black voters endorsing Daniel Wong. In the footage, the subjects stated, "He gave me a job. He bought me food. He turned on my lights. He helped me find work at my worst time. We're voting for Daniel Wong." Following the release of the content, the campaign faced accusations of misrepresentation. Bobby Eberle, a spokesperson for the Wong campaign, stated that the video was created by a Black Democrat supporting the candidate and featured other Wong supporters. However, Houston Public Media was unable to independently verify the creator of the video.

Democratic opponent and Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy condemned the video, labeling it "racist, vile, and wrong." McCoy accused the campaign of using the images of real people without their consent and called for a criminal investigation into the matter, citing concerns regarding the misrepresentation of identity. The incident has drawn attention to the Texas Election Code, which prohibits the distribution of deepfake videos intended to injure a candidate or influence election results within 30 days of an election. Legal experts have noted that while the statute covers AI-generated videos, it does not explicitly extend to AI-generated photos or audio, and the current legal framework makes proving such violations difficult.