Texas Rep. Who Fled the State Gets Flak After Calling Herself 'Brave' in Bid to Flip GOP Seat

Rep. Michelle Beckley is among the Texas legislators who fled the state in order to avoid losing a vote on an election integrity bill and she announced on Tuesday she is running to flip a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

In the tweet revealing her candidacy, Beckley called herself "one of the brave Texas Democrats who came to D.C. to fight for voting rights in my state."

My name is Michelle Beckley. I’m one of the brave Texas Democrats who came to D.C. to fight for voting rights in my state. Now, I’m fighting to flip a seat held by an anti-democracy Republican.

I have 28,500. Can you help us get to 50,000 followers?

— Michelle Beckley (@BeckleyforTX) July 21, 2021

Beckley will be running against Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R) in Texas' 24th Congressional district, which mostly comprises of suburban area in between Fort Worth and Dallas.

Just hours after our campaign launched, @bethvanduyne announced that she wants the Capitol Police to arrest me for standing up for Texans’ right to vote.

Are you kidding me?

I’m proud to defend our constitutional rights, and I’ll keep up that fight in the U.S. House. #TX24 pic.twitter.com/OET6xCodTa

— Michelle Beckley (@BeckleyforTX) July 20, 2021

Conservatives were quick to point out that going on a boozy private flight to the nation's capital to take pictures, meet with lawmakers, and then cause a COVID-19 super spreader event is not exactly all that brave.

You absconded from the Texas legislature to hop on a maskless, private jet booze cruise—in violation of both state and federal law—spreading WuFlu among your fugitive buddies along the way. Brave! https://t.co/yu9t9QpU08

— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) July 21, 2021

When you refer to yourself as "brave" for flying to D.C. to visit the Capitol and take some pictures: https://t.co/PtBdXc898k pic.twitter.com/qHwLKoP7p8

— John Cooper (@thejcoop) July 21, 2021

This has to be in the running for the cringiest tweet ever written https://t.co/3aaRcT03fl

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) July 21, 2021

You’re referring to yourself as “brave”? Oh, to have the self-confidence of a Texas Democrat.

— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) July 21, 2021

YOU. CALLED. YOURSELF. BRAVE.

— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) July 21, 2021