Senator Ted Cruz just poured gasoline on an already heated Republican primary in Texas.
Days before voters head to the polls, Cruz endorsed state Representative Steve Toth in his challenge against Congressman Dan Crenshaw. That is not a small move. Crenshaw is a four term incumbent in the Houston area, and sitting members of Congress do not usually get primaried with this kind of firepower behind the challenger.
Cruz made his position clear in a post on X. “Steve faithfully served the people of Texas in the Texas House of Representatives, championing our Texas values of liberty, limited government, and constitutional governance,” Cruz wrote. He called Toth “an unwavering fighter for school choice, fiscal responsibility, and the next generation of Americans,” adding that “Washington needs bold leadership and representatives who will stand up for Texans at every turn.”
That is a full throated endorsement, not a polite nod.
Toth has been hitting Crenshaw from the right, particularly on foreign policy and immigration. He has criticized Crenshaw’s support for Ukraine in its war against Russia and argued that the congressman has been too moderate on border security. In a state where immigration remains a top issue, that line of attack is not random.
Crenshaw, for his part, has pushed back hard. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle editorial board, he dismissed the idea that he has drifted from the conservative base. “If you think I’m not MAGA enough, then you’re not following me on social media, that’s the reality,” Crenshaw said. “If you don’t think I support Trump enough, then you’re not following me, you’re not listening to a thing I say.”
He went further, arguing that he has defended President Trump’s policies in hostile territory and has never lost an argument to a Democrat. It is a classic incumbent defense. Experience matters. Results matter.
There is another wrinkle here. Crenshaw is the only Republican incumbent running in next week’s primaries across Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas who does not have President Trump’s endorsement. That absence has fueled speculation and emboldened his challengers.
Crenshaw’s campaign has responded with heavy ad spending, labeling Toth a “RINO” and pointing to his opposition to Governor Greg Abbott’s property tax plan. Toth countered that the plan did not go far enough, arguing for deeper reforms.
This race is about more than one House seat. It reflects an ongoing debate inside the GOP about direction and tone. Do voters stick with a seasoned lawmaker who says he can win tough fights in Washington, or do they send someone they view as more aligned with grassroots priorities?
With Cruz now firmly in Toth’s corner and President Trump staying silent, Texas Republicans are about to render their verdict.
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