Incumbent Dan Crenshaw and state Rep. Steve Toth to face off in Republican primary for Texas' 2nd Congressional District on March 3

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Incumbent Daniel Crenshaw (R), Steve Toth (R), and four other candidates are running in the Republican primary for Texas' 2nd Congressional District on March 3, 2026. The filing deadline is Dec. 8. Crenshaw and Toth are leading in fundraising and local media attention.

According to the Houston Chronicle’s Jeremy Wallace, Crenshaw, who media outlets described as a rising star in the GOP after he was first elected, “has the power of incumbency and is one of the most recognizable members of Congress.” Toth is a state representative who, the Texas Tribune's Gabby Birenbaum described as "aligned with the rightmost faction of the Texas Legislature...by far the best-known primary opponent Crenshaw has faced in his career." Crenshaw defeated Jameson Ellis (R) 75%–17% and 60%–40% in the 2022 and 2024 primaries.

Crenshaw was elected to the House in 2018 and is a U.S. Navy veteran. He is running on his record which he says includes bringing flood mitigation funding to the district and “leading the fight in Congress to defeat the Mexican drug cartels.” Crenshaw says he stands for "common sense policies that ensure our nation’s prosperity and security, represent our Foundational values, and give Texans a reason to once again be proud of their leaders."

Toth was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2012. He ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2014 and U.S. House in 2016 before being re-elected to the state House in 2018. He is running on his record as a state legislator, which he says includes “banning both Critical Race Theory and Social Transitioning of Children in Texas schools” and securing “billions in funding for border security initiatives as a member of the Appropriations Committee.” He is also a pastor and a small business owner. Toth’s campaign website listed “Securing Our Southern Border,” “Fighting Liberal Indoctrination”, “Our National Security,” among his top priorities.

As of November 2025, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales, and Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball each rated the general election Solid/Safe Republican.

Texas conducted redistricting between the 2024 and 2026 elections. As a result, district lines in this state changed. According to an Inside Elections analysis, under the old map, Donald Trump (R) would have won the district by 24 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. Under the new map, Trump would have won the district by 23 percentage points.

Martin Etwop (R), T.C. Manning (R), Nicholas Plumb (R), and Ava Zolari (R) are also running in the primary.