Evan Hunt Challenges Keith Self on McKinney Recall and 2026 Race

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

Democratic congressional candidate Evan Hunt questioned Rep. Keith Self’s silence on the McKinney recall and criticized his refusal to debate, while defending his prediction of a close race during a recent virtual town hall.

McKinney Recall and Self’s Silence

Hunt questioned Rep. Keith Self’s recent silence on the McKinney recall, an effort the congressman previously supported following the August 5 City Council approval of a mosque site plan.

“I don’t want to give Keith too much credit for being silent because he sort of started this whole recall culture war nonsense,” Hunt said during the town hall.

Hunt suggested Self may be reconsidering the political consequences of his involvement.

“My assessment is that spending more time at home and hearing from the community may have convinced him it’s a political loser. I can’t speak to his private reasoning.”

He pointed to former McKinney Mayor George Fuller’s criticism of Self and Councilmember Justin Beller’s decision to back his campaign as signs of divisions among local Republicans over the recall.

“The recall has caused significant division within Collin County Republican circles,” Hunt wrote. “It shows how national culture wars can divide communities when a representative deliberately inflames them.”

He also believes the controversy could affect the November election.

“If Self loses, his support for the recall will be one of several contributing factors.”

The recall petition targets four McKinney officials, including Mayor Bill Cox. The city is reviewing approximately 7,400 submitted signatures, with findings tentatively expected November 17.

Debates and Campaign Strategy

Hunt also challenged Self’s willingness to engage directly with voters and his opponent.

“He’s dodging debates, declining to hold real town halls and refusing to attend candidate forums,” Hunt wrote.

Asked whether Self might simply consider his seat secure, Hunt acknowledged that possibility but argued voters deserve opportunities to question candidates.

Hunt suggested Self has avoided mentioning him because greater awareness of his campaign could increase his support.

“I don’t have access to his polling, but denying our campaign attention looks like a deliberate strategy, and I don’t think it will work,” Hunt wrote.

Hunt has challenged Self to a debate hosted by The McKinney Podcast, which confirmed it sent the congressman an invitation. No debate had been scheduled.

Hunt Stands by His Five-Point Prediction

Hunt repeated his prediction that the November election against Self will be decided by five percentage points or less.

“I firmly believe we’re going to win or lose within a five-point margin,” he said.

Hunt cited internal polling that he said showed him leading Self by two points among independent voters, although the campaign has not released the results supporting that specific claim.

“Our polling shows that a clear majority of respondents identify as independent. It also shows that the more voters learn about both me and Keith Self, the more likely they are to support me,” Hunt told TX3DNews.

“Winning won’t be easy, but it’s possible,” he added.

Republicans have held the congressional seat since 1968, and Self won reelection by nearly 25 percentage points in 2024, before the district’s boundaries changed. No independent district-level polling has been identified to support Hunt’s prediction.

Growth, Infrastructure and Federal Spending

Hunt raised concerns about whether North Texas can keep up with its rapid growth, particularly as new data centers increase demand for electricity.

“We have a weak grid in Texas and we’re adding a bunch of data centers on top of it,” he said.

He called for federal investment in water systems, broadband, schools and healthcare, while criticizing current spending priorities.

“I think that Congress needs to first take its power back and then it needs to get serious about fixing things for the American people,” Hunt said.

Other questions touched on tariffs, education and congressional priorities. If elected, Hunt said he would seek assignments to the Foreign Affairs and Veterans’ Affairs committees. He also supported congressional term limits, restrictions on lawmakers trading stocks and a Supreme Court ethics code.

Campaigning and Looking Ahead

Hunt joined the town hall by phone while traveling for his regular job.

“Working full time while campaigning is brutal,” he told TX3DNews. “Most working Americans don’t have the time or money to run, so we end up with a Congress that doesn’t reflect their lives.”

His campaign plans to increase voter outreach through text messages and digital advertising ahead of Election Day.

Hunt also pledged to continue holding monthly virtual town halls regardless of the election outcome.

“We’ve built a politically engaged community, and I want to keep it going regardless of the election’s outcome,” he wrote.

“We’re not going anywhere, win or lose,” Hunt told participants.

TX3DNews requested comment from Self regarding Hunt’s statements about the recall, debates and campaign strategy. His response was pending at the time of writing.