Keith Self

Keith Self
Official portrait, 2023
Keith Self
Born	Keith Alan Self 20 3, 1953
Birthplace	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, military officer (retired), county judge (former)
Title	Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe
Known for	U.S. Representative for Texas's 3rd congressional district
Education	United States Military Academy (BS) University of Southern California (MA)
Website	[[keithself.house.gov keithself.house.gov] Official site]

Keith Alan Self (born March 20, 1953) is an American politician, retired United States Army officer, and former county judge serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 3rd congressional district since January 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Self won the seat after incumbent Van Taylor withdrew from the 2022 Republican primary runoff amid a personal scandal. Before entering federal politics, Self served as the county judge of Collin County, Texas, from 2007 to 2018, and spent 24 years as an officer in the United States Army, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel. In the 118th Congress, Self drew national attention as one of a group of Republican members who initially opposed the election of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. In the 119th Congress, he serves as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe.

Early Life

Keith Alan Self was born on March 20, 1953, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up during a period of significant American military engagement abroad, an experience that would shape his later career trajectory. Details of his childhood and family background in Philadelphia are limited in available public records. Self's formative years led him toward a career in military service, and he pursued admission to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Self has described his worldview as shaped by an "ultra-conservative military mindset," a characterization that would come to define both his approach to governance as a county judge and his later congressional career. His decision to attend West Point and pursue a military career placed him on a path that would span more than two decades of active service before he transitioned into civilian public life in Texas.

Education

Self attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army upon graduation in 1975. He later earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Southern California. His advanced education complemented his extensive field experience, providing a combination of academic training and operational knowledge that would inform his subsequent career in both military and civilian leadership roles.

Career

Military Service

Self served in the United States Army from 1975 to 1999, a period of 24 years that encompassed some of the most significant military operations and geopolitical transitions of the late 20th century. He served as a member of the United States Army Rangers, an elite light infantry unit within the Army. Over the course of his military career, Self rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel before retiring from active duty in 1999.

His military career spanned the final decades of the Cold War, including the period of détente, the military buildup of the 1980s, and the post-Cold War era that included operations such as the Gulf War. The combination of Ranger qualification and extended service through multiple geopolitical eras provided Self with extensive operational and leadership experience that he would later cite as foundational to his approach to governance and foreign policy.

Collin County Judge

After retiring from the Army and settling in Texas, Self entered local government. He was elected as the county judge of Collin County, a large and rapidly growing suburban county in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, serving from 2007 until 2018. In Texas, the county judge serves as the presiding officer of the commissioners court and functions as the chief executive and administrative officer of the county, a role that combines judicial and executive responsibilities.

During his tenure, Collin County experienced significant population growth and suburban development, presenting challenges related to infrastructure, budgeting, and land use planning. Self's approach to county governance was characterized by fiscal conservatism, consistent with what he described as his "ultra-conservative military mindset." His 11-year tenure as county judge gave him a substantial record in local government and established his political base in one of the most reliably Republican counties in Texas. He left office in 2018 after choosing not to seek re-election.

2022 Congressional Campaign

Self entered the 2022 Republican primary for Texas's 3rd congressional district, which at the time was represented by incumbent Republican Van Taylor. The district, centered in Collin County and extending into parts of the northern Dallas suburbs, was considered a safe Republican seat. Self ran on a platform emphasizing his military background and conservative governance record as county judge.

The primary took a dramatic turn when, on March 1, 2022 — the day of the Texas primary election — reports surfaced that Taylor had carried on an extramarital affair with a woman who was the former wife of an ISIS operative. Taylor initially finished first in the primary but failed to secure the majority needed to avoid a runoff. On March 2, 2022, Taylor publicly acknowledged the affair and announced his withdrawal from the runoff election, effectively ending his political career.

With Taylor's withdrawal, Self advanced in the race and ultimately won the Republican nomination. Given the heavily Republican nature of the district, winning the primary was tantamount to winning the general election. Self won the November 2022 general election and took office on January 3, 2023.

118th Congress (2023–2025)

Speaker of the House Vote

Self's first days in Congress attracted national media attention when he became one of a group of Republican members who refused to vote for Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House at the start of the 118th United States Congress. The opposition from Self and other conservative members led to an extended and historically unusual series of ballots before a speaker could be elected, marking the first time since 1923 that a speaker election had gone to multiple ballots.

Self was among the holdouts who voted against McCarthy through multiple rounds of voting. The standoff extended over several days and 15 ballots, drawing intense media scrutiny and becoming one of the defining political stories of early 2023. The Washington Post described the House as being "in purgatory" during the protracted negotiations.

Self explained his opposition to McCarthy as rooted in concerns about Republican leadership's commitment to fiscal conservatism and procedural reforms within the House. McCarthy was eventually elected speaker on the 15th ballot after making a series of concessions to the conservative holdouts, including changes to House rules that gave individual members more power to challenge the speaker's authority.

Committee Assignments and Legislative Work

During the 118th Congress, Self served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a position that drew on his military background and interest in national security matters. His official congressional office maintained an active legislative agenda focused on defense, veterans' affairs, and fiscal policy.

119th Congress (2025–Present)

Subcommittee Chairmanship

In the 119th United States Congress, Self was elevated to the position of chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, a role that placed him at the center of U.S. policy discussions regarding European security, transatlantic relations, and related geopolitical issues.

In this capacity, Self has presided over hearings on a range of European policy matters. On December 2, 2025, he delivered opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing focused on achieving stability in the Western Balkans, a region of ongoing strategic concern for the United States and its European allies. In February 2026, he chaired a hearing on "weaponized mass migration," addressing the use of migration flows as a geopolitical tool by state actors in the European context.

Self has also spoken publicly about U.S. relations with European nations regarding the strategic significance of Greenland, appearing on regional media in Texas to discuss the topic in the context of broader transatlantic relations.

Legislative Initiatives

In the 119th Congress, Self introduced legislation aimed at enabling the Department of Veterans Affairs to recover improper payments made to former employees, reflecting his ongoing focus on government accountability and veterans' policy.

Self also co-founded the Sharia-Free America Caucus alongside Representative Chip Roy of Texas. In February 2026, Roy and Self hosted the caucus's first press conference, presenting their policy agenda.

Constituent Engagement

Self has been noted for holding town hall meetings with constituents in his district, a practice that some media outlets have highlighted as relatively uncommon among Republican members of Congress. In July 2025, he held a town hall event where he fielded questions from voters on topics including federal spending, Social Security, and other national policy issues. KERA News, a Dallas-area public media outlet, reported on the event, noting Self's willingness to engage directly with constituents in a public forum.

2026 Primary Challenge

As of February 2026, Self faces a primary challenge for the 2026 election cycle from Republican candidate Mark Newgent in the race for U.S. House District 3. The primary election is scheduled as part of the regular Texas primary election cycle.

Personal Life

Self resides in the 3rd Congressional District of Texas, which encompasses Collin County and portions of the northern Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. He settled in the area following his retirement from the United States Army in 1999 and has lived in the region for over two decades.

Self's personal identity and public persona are closely connected to his military service. He has frequently referenced his Army background and Ranger qualification in both his local government career and congressional campaigns, presenting his military experience as central to his approach to public service and governance. His self-described "ultra-conservative military mindset" has been a consistent theme throughout his public career, from his tenure as Collin County judge through his service in Congress.

Political Positions

Self identifies as a conservative Republican and has positioned himself on the right flank of the party in Congress, as demonstrated by his initial opposition to Kevin McCarthy's speakership in January 2023. His policy interests as a member of Congress have centered on foreign affairs and national security, government fiscal accountability, and veterans' policy.

On foreign policy, Self's role as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe has placed him at the forefront of congressional engagement with European security issues, including migration policy, Western Balkans stability, and transatlantic relations regarding territories such as Greenland.

Self has also focused on government accountability, particularly regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs, introducing legislation to address improper payments by the agency. His co-founding of the Sharia-Free America Caucus with Representative Chip Roy reflects his positions on cultural and national security policy.