Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw has lost the GOP primary in Texas’ 2nd Congressional District to Texas state Rep. Steve Toth, according to CBS News projections. Crenshaw, who has represented the district since 2019, was the only sitting House Republican from Texas who did not receive an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. The district, located in the suburbs of Houston, is considered heavily Republican, making the GOP primary winner the strong favorite to secure victory in the November general election.
Toth, 65, is a small business owner with experience in construction and business consulting. During the campaign, he positioned himself as a stronger ally of Trump and argued that Crenshaw was not sufficiently loyal to the “Make America Great Again” movement. Toth also received support from Republican Sen. Ted Cruz last week after Crenshaw voted against a bipartisan aviation safety bill championed by Cruz. Trump had previously endorsed Toth in his earlier campaigns for the Texas state house.
Crenshaw has at times clashed with members of his own party, particularly over his strong support for arming Ukraine in its war against Russia and his criticism of Republicans who deny Trump’s 2020 election loss. Meanwhile, the primary campaign unfolded under the shadow of a deadly shooting in Austin over the weekend that killed two people and injured 14. Both candidates referenced the incident in discussions about immigration and national security as voters headed to the polls in Texas’ open primary system.
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