Keith Self
Keith Alan Self is an American politician, military veteran, and former judge who has been the United States representative for Texas's 3rd congressional district since 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. From 2007 until 2018, he was the county judge for Collin County.
Early life and education
Self was born in 1953 at a military hospital in Philadelphia and graduated from Tascosa High School in Amarillo, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the United States Military Academy in 1975.He is married to Tracy Groff.
Affiliations and religion
Self is a life member of the National Rifle Association of America. Self is Protestant.Early career
Self served in the United States Army from 1975 to 1999. He was a member of the Army Special Forces and Army Rangers. He was deployed to Qatar, Egypt, Germany, Afghanistan, and Belgium. He was a candidate to replace retiring U.S. representative Dick Armey in 2002, narrowly missing the runoff by 93 votes to future representative Michael C. Burgess. He was recalled to active duty from 2002 to 2003, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.Self was elected as the county judge for Collin County, Texas, serving three terms from 2007 to 2018. He was a candidate for Texas's 3rd congressional district in the March 2022 Republican primary, finishing second to incumbent Van Taylor and advancing to a May runoff. After the primary, Taylor announced that he would end his congressional campaign amid accusations of marital infidelity, giving Self the nomination. Self won the November general election.
U.S. House of Representatives
Tenure
On January 3, 2023, at the beginning of the 118th Congress, Self voted for Jim Jordan and later for Byron Donalds to be the U.S. House speaker, in a rebuke of House minority leader Kevin McCarthy. "I love the new rules. I’m looking for somebody that will enforce them", Self said. In the 12th round of voting, Self changed his vote to McCarthy, saying "we are making progress... This will change this House, let’s be very clear". Self was one of 15 Republicans to change their votes. McCarthy finally won the speakership on the 15th vote, held early in the morning on Saturday, January 7, with Self voting in favor.As a consequence of the delay in selecting a new speaker, Self was formally sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives in the early morning of January 7, 2023, despite the 118th Congress convening on January 3.
Committee assignment
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- * Subcommittee on Europe
- * Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere
- Committee on Veteran's Affairs
- * Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
- * Subcommittee on Technology Modernization
Caucus membership
- Republican Study Committee
District priorities
Goebbels quotes
Self has faced public scrutiny for invoking quotes made by the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. In 2010, while running for the Republican primary for his second term as judge, Self quoted Goebbels, saying "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it" while disparaging his opponent, John Muns. Self did not recant his statement, despite concern from his own party for invoking a Nazi, and posted the quote on his website. Some fellow party members, such as Dixie Clem and Jodie Anne Laubenberg dismissed the quote as "just a quote".During a March 2025 congressional hearing, Self, in an attempt to compare the answers of former executive director of the Disinformation Governance Board, Nina Jankowicz, to Goebbels, said "I'll leave you and I'll yield back a little bit of my time, a direct quote from Joseph Goebbels; It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion and I think that may be what we're discussing here".
Misgendering incident
During a March 2025 hearing, Self misgendered Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, repeatedly identifying her as "Mr. McBride". McBride responded by misgendering Self saying, "Thank you, Madam Chair". Bill Keating, interrupting McBride, criticized Self, saying, "Have you no decency?" and told Self he would not continue the hearing unless he would refer to McBride by her preferred title. Self subsequently adjourned the hearing.He later commented in an interview about the incident saying that while McBride "can live however he wants," official congressional proceedings must prioritize "the truth" over what Self described as a "fantasy."
Political positions
2020 election
The Washington Post listed Self as a 2020 presidential election denier.Gun rights
On May 6, 2023, a gunman used an AR-15 style rifle in an outlet mall shooting that killed eight and wounded seven in Allen, Texas, within Self's district. In the aftermath of the attack, Self was criticized for characterizing people who say that prayer alone will not stop mass shootings as "people that don't believe in an almighty God, who is absolutely in control of our lives". He followed up by saying that he did not want to discuss politics so soon after a mass shooting; that Allen remains a "very safe area"; and that calls for additional regulation of AR-15 style rifles, including raising the allowable purchasing age, are “a knee-jerk reaction that does not stop criminals.” Self advocated for arming school staff members with guns and having an armed presence in the public, stating that prayer and full funding of mental health programs are a better remedy for mass shootings than gun control. Shannon Watts, the founder of the advocacy group Moms Demand Action, responded: "Faith without works is dead. Prayers without action are empty."The shooter, Mauricio Martinez Garcia, had enlisted in the U.S. Army in June 2008, but never completed basic training: he was terminated after three months due to mental health concerns. Because this was an administrative separation, rather than a punitive discharge, Garcia's termination by the Army would not show up on the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. On May 11, commenting on Garcia's military service, Self characterized him as "exactly the kind of person we're trying to keep weapons out of the hands of" and said that Garcia's ability to buy guns legally was a loophole that he intends to fix; however, Self denied that he was discussing a red flag law.