Politics
RINO Congressman’s Primary Hopes Take Massive Hit After Shock Endorsement
Sen. Ted Cruz waded into a GOP clash Tuesday, throwing his support behind state Rep. Steve Toth in a primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw.
Backing Toth days before next week’s Texas primary, Cruz praised the state lawmaker’s record in Austin.
“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 in a post on X, adding that Toth is an “an unwavering fighter for school choice, fiscal responsibility, and the next generation of Americans.
“Washington needs bold leadership and representatives who will stand up for Texans at every turn,” he added.
The endorsement marks Cruz’s most significant move yet in the race and hands Toth a major boost against Crenshaw, a four-term incumbent.
Toth has hammered Crenshaw over his support for Ukraine in its war against Russia and has cast the congressman as too moderate on immigration.
Crenshaw, meanwhile, stands out for another reason: he is the only Republican incumbent running in next week’s primaries across Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas who lacks President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw
The Houston-area congressman has fiercely rejected claims from Toth and his allies that he has drifted from the party’s conservative base.
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“If you think I’m not MAGA enough, then you’re not following me on social media, that’s the reality,” Crenshaw said in a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle’s editorial board. “If you don’t think I support Trump enough, then you’re not following me, you’re not listening to a thing I say. I’m out there defending his policies pretty hard and have defended them in extremely hard places in the past.”
“If you want somebody who doesn’t know how to do that to represent you, by all means, get rid of me, get rid of one of the people who’s never lost an argument against a Democrat,” he continued.
Crenshaw and his allies have saturated the airwaves with ads labeling Toth a “RINO,” short for “Republican in Name Only,” citing his opposition to Gov. Greg Abbott’s property tax plan. Toth said the proposal did not go far enough.
