McKinney Town Hall Puts TX-03 Candidates Face to Face With Voters

Republican incumbent Keith Self did not show up. That absence defined the evening at The Guitar Sanctuary in McKinney, where voters gathered for a town hall that had been discussed beforehand as a possible debate in the race for Texas' 3rd Congressional District.

For roughly 90 minutes, candidate Evan Hunt faced direct questions from attendees on a range of issues: healthcare costs, immigration policy, voting laws, public school funding, the role Congress should play in matters of war, religious freedom, and the tone of national politics.

One of the sharper exchanges of the night centered on legislation Hunt said Self has supported, which could allow the government to take action against individuals accused of practicing or promoting Sharia law, including possible immigration consequences. Hunt argued the measure leaves a critical question unanswered: who decides what counts as practicing Sharia. Because the term is not clearly defined, he warned the policy could leave broad discretion to government officials and raise serious questions about religious freedom.

A separate moment drew attention during a discussion about the proposed SAVE Act and voter identification requirements, though the full exchange underscored how personally voters are taking voting law questions heading into the general election.

The town hall arrives against a backdrop of notable primary engagement. More than 200,000 Collin County voters participated in the March primary election, roughly 26 percent of the county's 760,000 registered voters. TX-03 has been represented by Republicans in Congress for decades, but that turnout figure points to a district where a significant share of voters may still be weighing their options.

Republican candidates Keith Self and Mark Newgent are both in the race, though Self's decision to skip the McKinney forum left Hunt as the only candidate answering questions directly in front of constituents. The central issue the evening exposed, according to TX3DNews opinion writer R. J. Morales, who covered the event, was one of access: whether voters in TX-03 can get their candidates in the same room.

Self's campaign has not publicly addressed his absence or the legislation Hunt criticized.