State Rep. Steve Toth pulled off a surprising victory over four-term incumbent Rep. Dan Crenshaw in the Texas 2nd District Republican primary. Crenshaw’s support for Ukraine aid, Afghan resettlement and his 2020 certification vote alienated the party’s hard-right wing, helping fuel the upset. Despite outraising Toth by about $1.5 million, Crenshaw lost; Toth is now heavily favored in November against Democrat Shaun Finnie.
Steve Toth Topples Dan Crenshaw in Stunning Texas GOP Primary Upset
Texas state Rep. Rep. Steve Toth, left, and Rep. Dan Crenshaw. - Getty Images
State Rep. Steve Toth defeated four-term U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw in the Republican primary for Texas’s 2nd Congressional District, delivering a surprising upset that tested the incumbent’s standing with the party’s conservative base.
Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, has at times been aligned with President Donald Trump but had grown increasingly at odds with the MAGA wing over issues including support for aid to Ukraine, resettlement of Afghan allies, and his vote to certify the 2020 presidential election results. He also publicly criticized some Republican colleagues, calling them “grifters” and “performance artists.”
Why the Race Shifted
Those policy and stylistic differences energized opposition inside the GOP. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz endorsed Toth and appeared in a super PAC ad backing the challenger, a high-profile signal of intraparty discontent. Crenshaw also faced a strong political environment in the redrawn 2nd District: Republican-led mid-decade redistricting shifted much of Toth’s state House territory into the congressional seat, consolidating support for the challenger.
Despite significantly outraising Toth—reportedly by more than $1.5 million—Crenshaw lost the primary. Toth, a former megachurch pastor and local business owner, is known as one of the more conservative figures in the Texas Legislature and previously challenged an incumbent (Rep. Kevin Brady) in 2016.
"It has been an honor to serve the people of Texas’ Second Congressional District. I am proud of what we accomplished together. My life has been about service to this great country, and that will not change," Crenshaw said in a statement after the results were called.
The 2nd District, north of Houston, remains solidly Republican. Toth is now heavily favored to win the November general election against Democrat Shaun Finnie, a businessman who ran unopposed in his primary. The outcome underscores ongoing tensions within the GOP over loyalty to party leaders and the party’s direction.
This story has been updated with additional details. CNN’s Sarah Ferris contributed to this report.
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