Melissa Beckett is a Republican challenger who ran against incumbent Jay Dean in the Texas House District 7 primary on March 3, 2026. She received 9,750 votes (approximately 45% of the vote), narrowly losing to Dean's 11,851 votes. Beckett is the founder of Texas Education 911, an organization that advocates for education policy changes. She has filed a defamation lawsuit against Dean over his campaign accusations.
Melissa Beckett is a parent advocate and founder of Texas Education 911, an organization focused on education policy advocacy. She and her husband Jim are raising three sons (Noah, Jack, and Luke). Beckett is from the East Texas region and emphasizes her deep connections to local community values. She describes her motivation for running as a response to what she views as the erosion of conservative values, including concerns about gender identity policies in schools and government overreach.