U.S. House, Texas 3rd Congressional District · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in Texas's 3rd Congressional District?
Keith Self has the strongest record in Texas's 3rd Congressional District. Keith Self scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Evan Hunt at 56, as of October 6, 2026. Keith Self's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Evan Hunt's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Evan Hunt
On the ballot as EVAN HUNT
56 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Keith Self
On the ballot as KEITH SELF
70 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 63
Disclosure: The Political Group has provided campaign services to Evan Hunt. The same rubric and the same sources were applied to every candidate in this race.
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Evan Hunt
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Keith Self
- On the record2026-08
Signed a petition to recall McKinney's mayor and three council members after the council approved a mosque site plan in August 2026.
- On the record2025-03-11
As chair of the Foreign Affairs Europe subcommittee, addressed Rep. Sarah McBride as 'Mr. McBride' and adjourned the hearing when Rep. Bill Keating asked him to correct it.
Sources: Texas Tribune, March 12, 2025, FOX 4, March 12, 2025
- Credit2025-01-02
Sponsored H.R. 4136, the U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson Memorial VA Clinic Act, signed into law Jan. 2, 2025.
- Credit2025
Held in-person town halls with constituents in Wylie on March 1, 2025 and McKinney on July 26, 2025, one of few House Republicans to do so that summer.
Sources: Princeton Herald, March 1, 2025, NPR, July 29, 2025
- Credit2023 to 2025
Was among the Republican holdouts against Kevin McCarthy in January 2023, first voted against Speaker Mike Johnson on Jan. 3, 2025 before switching, and voted against the 2023 debt limit deal and the March 2024 spending package.
Sources: NPR, Jan. 10, 2023, Texas Tribune, Jan. 3, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 243, May 31, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 102, March 22, 2024
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Evan Hunt. FEC reports are on file through June 30, 2026 and House candidate financial disclosures are on file, the latest filed May 2, 2026. No FEC administrative fine and no Texas Ethics Commission order naming him found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076316, FEC administrative fines search
Keith Self. FEC reports are on file through June 30, 2026. His periodic transaction reports for January and October 2025 trades were filed within two weeks. No House Ethics Committee matter and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Committee on Ethics site search for "Keith Self", FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Evan Hunt. No public record found.
Keith Self. Held out against Kevin McCarthy in the January 2023 speaker votes and first voted against Mike Johnson in January 2025. Voted No on the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act and Nay on the March 2024 H.R. 2882 package, against his party's leaders.
Sources: NPR, Jan. 10, 2023, Texas Tribune, Jan. 3, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 243, May 31, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 102, March 22, 2024
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Evan Hunt. No public record found.
Keith Self. Held in-person town halls with constituents in Wylie on March 1, 2025 and McKinney on July 26, 2025, and several 'Koffee with Keith' events in August 2025. No 2026 general election debate found; a decline is reported only by a non-straight-news site.
Sources: Princeton Herald, March 1, 2025, NPR, July 29, 2025, Houston Public Media, Sept. 5, 2025
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Evan Hunt. Community Impact's candidate listing describes him as a 20-year Air Force officer and commander and a global vice president of business development. No formal conduct finding found.
Source: Community Impact, Aug. 20, 2026
Keith Self. Served 25 years in the Army, three terms as Collin County judge and in Congress since 2023, where he chairs a subcommittee. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Office site, About, House Committee on Ethics site search for "Keith Self"
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Evan Hunt. Community Impact's candidate listing and his campaign describe 20 years of Air Force service, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2022. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: Community Impact, Aug. 20, 2026, Campaign site
Keith Self. Took the oath as an Army officer from 1975 to 2003, as Collin County judge and as a U.S. representative in 2023. He was not in Congress for the January 2021 electoral count. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Keith Self, GovTrack, Keith Self
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Evan Hunt. Described by Community Impact as a 20-year Air Force officer and commander with more than 10 years in the aerospace industry; his campaign lists squadron command in the Air National Guard. His House disclosure lists salaried aerospace and defense employers.
Sources: Community Impact, Aug. 20, 2026, Campaign site, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076316
Keith Self. U.S. representative since Jan. 3, 2023, now in his second term. Collin County judge from 2007 to 2018 and a retired Army lieutenant colonel who commanded Special Forces units.
Sources: GovTrack, Keith Self, Ballotpedia, Keith Self, Office site, About
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Evan Hunt. Publishes issue positions on health care costs, public schools, immigration, tariffs and anti-corruption, naming some bills he supports (the Equal Voices Act, H.R. 4125), mostly stated as positions rather than plans.
Sources: Campaign site, Community Impact, Aug. 20, 2026
Keith Self. Chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe and sits on the Science and Veterans' Affairs committees. Has filed specific bills in 2026, including a Super PAYGO Act and a warrant requirement for federal access to license plate reader data.
Sources: GovTrack, Keith Self, Office site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Evan Hunt. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey, answered Community Impact's general election Q&A and publishes issue positions.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Evan Hunt (Texas), Community Impact, Aug. 20, 2026, Campaign site
Keith Self. Publishes an e-newsletter and issue pages, holds in-person town halls and answered Community Impact's general election Q&A. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Community Impact, Aug. 20, 2026, NPR, July 29, 2025, Ballotpedia, Keith Self
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Evan Hunt. His FEC candidate record lists a McKinney address; McKinney is in the district, where the incumbent keeps his Collin County office. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 50 percent (49.6) of itemized individual contributions from Texas.
Sources: FEC contribution totals by state, Office site of Rep. Self, contact
Keith Self. Lives in McKinney and was elected Collin County judge in 2006, serving to 2018. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 69 percent of itemized individual contributions from Texas.
Sources: Office site, About, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Evan Hunt. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Keith Self. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Evan Hunt. No public record found.
Keith Self. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 1.262 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.190, which the Center for Effective Lawmaking classes as meeting expectations. Sponsored H.R. 4136, naming a VA clinic, signed into law Jan. 2, 2025.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation, GovTrack, H.R. 4136 (118th Congress)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Evan Hunt. No public record found.
Keith Self. Missed 23 of 1,917 roll call votes, 1.2 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Evan Hunt. No public record found.
Keith Self. Lists two district offices, in McKinney and Greenville, and offers help with federal agencies, and held in-person constituent town halls in March and July 2025 plus August 2025 events. No published casework totals found.
Sources: NPR, July 29, 2025, Houston Public Media, Sept. 5, 2025, Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Evan Hunt. No public record found.
Keith Self. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.08048 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 348 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Evan Hunt. No public record found.
Keith Self. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Texas's 3rd Congressional District?
Keith Self has the strongest record in Texas's 3rd Congressional District. Keith Self scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Evan Hunt at 56, as of October 6, 2026. Keith Self's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Evan Hunt's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Texas's 3rd Congressional District in 2026?
EVAN HUNT (Democratic), KEITH SELF (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Evan Hunt a good candidate for Congress?
Evan Hunt scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Keith Self a good candidate for Congress?
Keith Self scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Texas race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Texas 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.