Updated on: March 4, 2026 / 3:02 AM EST / CBS News
Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw has lost the GOP primary in Texas’ 2nd Congressional District to state Rep. Steve Toth, CBS News projects.
Crenshaw, who has served in the House since 2019, was the only sitting House Republican in Texas not endorsed by former President Trump.
Toth, 65, is a small business owner with a background in construction and consulting. A vocal supporter of Trump, he argued on the campaign trail that Crenshaw wasn’t sufficiently loyal or conservative for the Make America Great Again coalition. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas endorsed Toth last week after Crenshaw voted against a bipartisan aviation safety bill that Cruz backed.
Crenshaw has at times clashed with members of his own party. His strong support for arming Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion has drawn criticism from some on the right skeptical of U.S. involvement, and he has criticized Republicans who deny the 2020 election results.
Trump has previously endorsed Toth in his state house races.
Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, located in the Houston suburbs, is heavily Republican, making the GOP primary winner a heavy favorite in November. Texas holds open primaries.
A deadly shooting in Austin over the weekend cast a shadow over Tuesday’s primary contests. A gunman wearing a hoodie that read “Property of Allah” killed two people and wounded 14 before police stopped him. Officials said the suspect was a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal. Both candidates tied the shooting to immigration on the campaign trail.
Toth wrote on social media in response: “America’s primary role is keeping Americans safe in our homeland. It’s not mass immigration in the name of diversity.”
Crenshaw posted on X: “Yes, this was possibly a terrorist attack. We don’t know just yet, but it is increasingly more likely than not. Years of open borders and allowing immigrants from countries where we were not always able to fully vet them created the potential for Iranian and Islamist sleeper cells. Stay on high alert, and remember: You have the right to defend yourself here in Texas.”
In: Texas | Texas Primary | Election