March 4, 2026

Texas state Rep. Steve Toth defeated Rep. Dan Crenshaw in a Republican primary in Texas, NBC News projects, unseating Crenshaw after a race that centered on which candidate more closely aligned with President Donald Trump.

Crenshaw becomes the first member of Congress to lose renomination in the 2026 midterm election cycle.

Texas state Rep. Steve Toth defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Crenshaw in a Republican primary, marking the first loss of renomination for a House member in the 2026 midterm cycle, after a campaign focused on who better embodied President Trump's MAGA agenda. Crenshaw, a four-term congressman who had partially distanced himself from Trump by supporting aid to Ukraine and criticizing election fraud claims, struggled without Trump's endorsement and faced criticism from Toth for not being conservative enough on foreign policy and immigration. Despite Crenshaw’s efforts to emphasize his MAGA credentials and recent praise for a U.S. military operation in Iran, Toth’s challenge resonated with voters, aided by a late endorsement from Sen. Ted Cruz, ultimately unseating Crenshaw in Texas’s solidly Republican 2nd District.

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