Matt Schaefer is a Republican who formerly represented Texas House District 6, anchored by Tyler in East Texas. Born on February 11, 1976, he is a sixth-generation Texan, attorney, real estate broker, and retired Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He served in Afghanistan in 2010 near the Iranian border with a provincial reconstruction team and retired from the Navy Reserve in 2021. Schaefer is married to Jasilyn, director of the Apache Belles at Tyler Junior College; they have two children, Quincy and Graham, and are members of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, where they met and married in 2001. A deeply conservative figure, he chaired the Texas Freedom Caucus starting in 2017 and again in 2023. Notable achievements include authoring the 2021 "constitutional carry" legislation allowing permitless handgun carry. He announced in August 2023 that he would not seek re-election in 2024 and was succeeded by Republican Daniel Alders.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Attended Cisco Junior College; B.A. in Finance and J.D. from Texas Tech University.
• Early Career: Worked in U.S. Senator Phil Gramm's district office in 1999; joined Navy Reserve after Gramm's retirement; self-employed in real estate and law.
• Political Experience: Elected to Texas House District 6 in November 2012, defeating incumbent Leo Berman in the Republican primary; served from 2013 until 2024 ; unopposed in several primaries and generals; former advisor to the Chair of the Texas Sunset Commission; endorsed Ron DeSantis in 2024 GOP primary.