Steve Toth claims lead against Dan Crenshaw in Texas Congressional race

Steve Toth declared victory on Tuesday night in his campaign to unseat incumbent Rep. Dan Crenshaw in the Republican primary for Texas’ 2nd Congressional District.

The Associated Press had not officially called the race as results continued to come in, but early returns showed the state representative is opening a strong lead over Crenshaw.

Toth said in a news release: “Congressional District 2 voters want a representative in DC who will stand firm in his convictions, fight for his constituents, and follow through on his promises. I won’t let them down.”

The result marks a major shift in the Houston area district as Crenshaw had previously won his primaries by comfortable margins.

Despite raising about $1.3 million more than Toth during the campaign, the four term congressman appeared to be trailing Tuesday night.

Toth, a Republican from Conroe, is considered one of the more conservative members of the Texas Republican Party.

He framed the race as a test of the party’s future direction and received support from several conservative figures, including US Senator Ted Cruz and Turning Point Action.

Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL elected in 2018, has focused on issues such as blocking federal funding for gender affirming care and targeting Mexican cartels.

However, he has faced criticism from some Republicans over his support for Ukraine aid and his vote to certify the 2020 election results.