One of the most high-profile Republican feuds in Texas could be decided Tuesday in the 2nd Congressional District primary election.
In a surprise move, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, endorsed megachurch pastor and state Rep. Steve Toth against four-term Rep. Dan Crenshaw.
"Steve is an unwavering fighter for school choice, fiscal responsibility, and the next generation of Americans," Cruz said in an online post.
The senator subsequently cut a hard-hitting commercial on Toth's behalf.
What makes the contest particularly intriguing is that Crenshaw — a former Navy SEAL known for his signature eyepatch — is one of two Republican members of the Texas congressional delegation who have not been endorsed by President Donald Trump in the primary. (The other is Sen. John Cornyn, facing a challenge from two opponents.)
As to the origins of the Crenshaw-Cruz feud, several sources in the Lone Star State say the senator has been wary of Crenshaw since the winner of two Bronze Stars reportedly pondered a primary challenge to Cruz in 2021 — something that reportedly led to a heated exchange between the two.
Crenshaw ultimately did not challenge Cruz when the senator's term was up in 2024.
Most recently, several published reports allege that Crenshaw worked to sink an air safety bill that had been a top priority of Cruz's in the House.
Although Crenshaw's record is generally conservative, he has been under fire from some MAGA Republicans who see him as less than solid on immigration enforcement and disagree with his support of U.S. aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
In a move that likely spawned by Crenshaw's position on Ukraine, the House Freedom Caucus endorsed Toth.
Crenshaw "is an internationalist and Steve [Toth] is an America First Republican," former state GOP Chairman Tom Pauken, a conservative activist who also endorsed Toth, told Newsmax.
With two minor candidates on the primary ballot, neither Crenshaw nor Toth may secure a majority in the Tuesday primary and would thus have to face each other in a runoff May 26.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.