Dan Crenshaw toppled in Texas GOP primary, testing MAGA clout in heated primary

Four-term Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, lost the Republican primary on Tuesday to Steve Toth, a state representative and businessman, after years of turmoil between Crenshaw and the Republican Party’s MAGA faction, which questioned Crenshaw’s loyalty to Trump.

The 2nd Congressional District primary election, which ended Tuesday with Toth defeating Crenshaw, drew a sharp line within the Republican Party. Crenshaw has not been officially endorsed by President Donald Trump or Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, endorsed Toth after the senator reportedly clashed with Crenshaw at the airport over whether the representative was working against his re-election.

Ahead of Tuesday’s primary, Toth positioned herself as a more staunch conservative by comparing Crenshaw to “a version of Liz Cheney,” who frequently clashed with Trump while in Congress before leaving public office.

Toth, who has been a Texas State Representative since 2019 and also owns a residential and commercial pool management company, is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, Turning Point USA, Sen. Cruz received endorsements from Texas Right to Life, 21 of his Republican colleagues in the Texas state legislature, and some high-profile local conservatives.

Crenshaw, meanwhile, has endorsements from Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, leader of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., the National Border Patrol Council and the National Rifle Association, among others. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also told the media ahead of the primary that he “supports” Crenshaw and “hopefully he’ll come out of this.”

Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL who lost an eye in combat and now sits on the House’s powerful intelligence committee, struggled ahead of the primary against the label that he wasn’t a staunch enough MAGA Republican.

“My relationship with Trump is good,” Crenshaw told the Houston Chronicle, which is backing the incumbent congressman ahead of Tuesday’s primary. “I work very closely with his management. I’m close with Pete Hegseth, John Ratcliffe and Kash Patel because they’re all within my purview as well. [House] Intelligence Committee. We work very closely with the White House. “You wouldn’t have to pay attention to any of that to think I’m not ‘Trump’ enough.”

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Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw, left, and Texas Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt, right, head out during voting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. (Getty Images)

In 2020, Crenshaw ran unopposed and then won nearly two-thirds of the vote in the 2022 primary, according to Ballotpedia. But in 2024, Crenshaw’s popularity dropped significantly in the primary, falling to just around 60%, according to the database.

Just days before Tuesday’s primary, reports emerged that Crenshaw and Cruz got into a tense argument at the airport, during which Crenshaw allegedly accused Cruz of working against him in the House primary. According to reports, Cruz responded: “If I’m working against you, you’ll know it.”

Days later, he withdrew his support for Toth and released a paid ad to announce it.

State Rep. Steve Toth, a Conroe Republican from the far right wing of the Texas Legislature, has announced his primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)

“You deserve an unwavering warrior, a walking Republican,” Cruz says in the ad, which does not mention Crenshaw.

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Crenshaw had a significant fundraising advantage over his opponents, but he also faced redistricting changes in his district that pulled parts of Toth’s home state into the race.

Toth will succeed Democratic candidate and investment banker Shaun Finnie, who ran unopposed in the primary in November’s general election, as the next Representative for Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, which includes Houston and large surrounding areas.

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