Updated on: March 4, 2026 / 3:02 AM EST / CBS News
Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost the GOP primary in Texas’ 2nd Congressional District to state Rep. Steve Toth, CBS News projects.
Crenshaw, first elected to the House in 2018 and serving since 2019, was the only sitting Texas House Republican not endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Toth, 65, a small business owner with a background in construction and consulting, ran as a vocal Trump supporter and criticized Crenshaw on the campaign trail for what he said was insufficient loyalty to the Make America Great Again coalition. Trump previously endorsed Toth in his state house races.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas endorsed Toth last week after Crenshaw voted against a bipartisan aviation safety bill Cruz supported.
Crenshaw has clashed at times with members of his own party. His strong support for arming Ukraine after Russia’s invasion drew criticism from conservatives skeptical of U.S. involvement, and he has publicly criticized Republicans who deny the results of the 2020 election.
Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, 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. Officials said a gunman wearing a hoodie that read “Property of Allah” killed two people and wounded 14 before police stopped him; the suspect was identified as a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal. Both candidates tied the shooting to immigration in campaign remarks.
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