A once-safe incumbent has been unseated after a bruising Republican primary fight in Texas.
According to Fox News, four-term Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost his bid for renomination Tuesday in the state’s 2nd Congressional District, falling to state Rep. Steve Toth.
The contest underscored deep divisions within the Texas GOP.
Crenshaw did not receive a formal endorsement from President Donald Trump or Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ahead of the primary.
Toth leaned heavily into that dynamic, casting himself as the more reliable conservative voice. He compared Crenshaw to a “version of Liz Cheney,” invoking the former Wyoming congresswoman who frequently clashed with Trump before leaving office.
Support for Toth came from several high-profile conservatives, including Ted Cruz, who endorsed him after a reported tense exchange with Crenshaw at an airport.
According to reports, Crenshaw accused Cruz of working against his reelection effort. Cruz allegedly responded, “If I’m working against you, you’re gonna know it.”
Cruz later reinforced his support for Toth with a paid advertisement declaring, “You deserve an unwavering fighter, a Republican who walks the walk.” The ad did not mention Crenshaw by name.
Toth, who has served in the Texas House since 2019 and owns a residential and commercial pool management company, also secured endorsements from the House Freedom Caucus, Turning Point USA, Texas Right to Life and more than 20 Republican state lawmakers.
Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL who lost an eye in combat and serves on the House Intelligence Committee, pushed back against claims he was not sufficiently aligned with Trump.
“My relationship with Trump is good,” Crenshaw told the Houston Chronicle. “I work very closely with his administration. I’m close with Pete Hegseth and John Ratcliffe and Kash Patel, because this is all within my scope too on the [House] Intelligence Committee. We work very closely together with the White House. You’d have to not pay attention to any of that to think I’m not ‘Trump’ enough.”
Despite a significant fundraising advantage, Crenshaw faced shifting political terrain. Redistricting changes brought parts of Toth’s home base into the 2nd District, which covers areas in greater Houston.
In prior cycles, Crenshaw had cruised to victory, running unopposed in 2020 and winning comfortably in subsequent primaries. But his share of the vote had declined in recent years.
Toth will now face Democratic nominee Shaun Finnie in November’s general election.
