When concerned McKinney, Texas, residents showed up in droves for a recent town council meeting where city leaders were considering the proposed expansion plan for the Islamic Association of McKinney, Republican Rep. Keith Self (TX-03) – who represents the area in Congress – was right there alongside his fellow outraged citizens.
As RedState previously reported, so many McKinney residents showed up at the August 4 meeting to voice their outrage that they overflowed out into the hallway and the start of the meeting was delayed by 30 minutes so all of the speakers could get registered. They were amped up and united in their opposition to the massive expansion plan.
Rep. Self was the first one to speak when the meeting finally began, saying bluntly, "Child marriage, honor killings, don't tell me it can't happen here." He continued, “The freedom to choose our faith or not does not exist in political Islam. Ask any Muslim what the penalty is for leaving political Islam. It’s death.”
READ MORE: Tensions Explode After Texas Town Council Approves Massive Islamic Center Expansion
He immediately followed that by saying:
“I have any number of videos of imams in America, modern-day America, preaching sedition, open sedition, against the U.S. Constitution and the laws of this land.”
The crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Despite the public outcry, the council eventually voted 7-0 to approve the plan. Residents are fighting back and have formed a group calling for the ouster of three of the council members along with the town mayor.
The McKinney Recall group is pushing for the removal of Mayor Bill Cox, and councilmembers Ernest Lynch, Justin Beller, and Geré Feltus.
[...]
The recall group has built a Facebook page calling for public support of their petition, claiming "This recall is not one issue, it is a pattern. How they spend, what they prioritize, and whether they listen."
In a separate post, they add, "That loss of confidence [in the mayor/council] concerns a broader record of representation, spending, infrastructure, transparency, and responsiveness."
Rep. Self has thrown his full support behind the effort in a video posted to his official X page Saturday.
My statement to the citizens of McKinney pic.twitter.com/oifUdXxXwe
— Rep. Keith Self (@RepKeithSelf) August 15, 2026
To the citizens of McKinney, I will sign the recall petition.
What you are experiencing today — the intimidation, the bullying tactics, the threats — that’s what conservatives in Congress experience every single day in D.C.
This is your time. Just like I said at the City Council meeting, that was their time to stand tall.
This is your time to stand tall.
This is your moment of truth. This is your time for choosing.
Sign the petition. They cannot ignore the citizens of McKinney.
The council members had their chance and they chose not to listen to the people who elected them, choosing instead to plow ahead with an unpopular plan. Now, McKinney residents are exercising a powerful recourse that's available to them – and, as Self made clear, he intends to stand with them. Will other politicians have the courage to do the same?
Residents have until 5:00 PM on Saturday, September 26, 2026 to add their names. The recall petition can be found here.
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