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Several members of the Texas congressional delegation were knocked on their heels Tuesday night, as redistricting and intraparty fights took a toll on their political standing in a primary dominated by President Donald Trump and his influence over the state’s Republicans.
U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, lost reelection to a primary challenger, Steve Toth, who ran to Crenshaw’s right and seized the pro-Trump mantle as the president declined to come to Crenshaw’s aid. Four other members of the delegation — from both parties — found themselves in close uncalled races or heading to primary runoffs, a precarious position for any incumbent.
Trump loomed large over the primaries even before many candidates started running. Last summer, he successfully pushed state GOP lawmakers to redraw the congressional map to give the party five new seats. The boundaries that resulted create all new kinds of political peril for incumbents on both sides of the aisle.
At the same time, the large number of open seats in this primary – both due to redistricting and retirements – gave Trump an opportunity chance to further remake the Texas GOP in his image. And he seized the opportunity, making endorsements in almost every congressional primary that Republicans cared about.
Several incumbents were the victims of redistricting. Crenshaw took in new territory that left him more susceptible to right-wing challenger Toth. And both the Democrats forced into runoffs, Al Green and Julie Johnson, were drawn out of their seats and had to run against fellow or former members with claims to the new districts.
But it was a strong night for Trump, whose endorsed candidates in the five seats Republicans redrew at his behest either won outright or were poised to make the runoff in their Republican primaries.
In the two Democratic-held South Texas seats that will be the most competitive congressional general elections in the state, Trump’s preferred candidates won outright, a relief for Republicans in DC watching those races closely.
Here are how congressional candidates fared in the most notable primaries:
Incumbents
Prior to Tuesday, no Texas incumbent had lost their primary since Republican Rep. Ralph Hall was defeated by John Ratcliffe in 2014. The last time multiple Texas members of Congress were unseated by members of their own party was 2004, when two Democrats lost their primaries. In the past 50 years, no more than two Texas incumbents lost primaries in the same year, giving 2026 the potential to be a historic bloodbath by the time the May runoffs conclude.
That made it all the more striking that Crenshaw lost to Toth – and by 18 percentage points when the Associated Press called the race.
Crenshaw, one of the best-known Republicans in the House, was a star in the GOP’s 2018 class, appearing on Saturday Night Live that year. But he’s drawn criticism from the more isolationist wing of the party for his hawkish foreign policy views, especially his support of Ukraine, and his open frustration with the obstructionist tactics of the House Freedom Caucus, the far-right bloc that Toth seems poised to join.
Toth, who was backed by the House Freedom Caucus’ political arm, received a key boost when Sen. Ted Cruz endorsed him midway through early voting. Crenshaw, on the other hand, was the only incumbent House Republican from Texas who did not receive an endorsement from Trump.
In a video posted on X, Toth said that he received a call from the White House offering him well wishes on his victory.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, meanwhile, trailed pro-gun activist Brandon Herrera early Wednesday morning in a race that was headed to a runoff for the second straight election cycle. Herrera nearly unseated Gonzales in their initial 2024 matchup, losing by a few hundred votes in that year’s overtime round.
While Gonzales landed Trump’s endorsement this time – he did not have it in 2024 – his latest campaign was upended as early voting began and the San Antonio Express-News reported he had an extramarital affair with an aide who later died by suicide. It remains to be seen if Trump — and House Republican leadership — will stick with him in the runoff.
On the Democratic side, both Green of Houston and Johnson of Farmers Branch were trailing in yet-to-be-called races after redistricting dramatically changed their reelection plans. If they head to runoffs, their current second-place status suggests they enter their overtime rounds as underdogs to varying degrees.
Green narrowly trailed Rep. Christian Menefee of Houston in their member-on-member matchup with thousands of votes left to be counted early Wednesday morning. But Johnson was trailing former Rep. Colin Allred by a wider margin — over 10 points.
Allred, who jumped into the primary against Johnson after ending his U.S. Senate campaign in December, made clear in remarks to supporters Tuesday night that the runoff would be contentious. He criticized Johnson over her stock trading in Congress — already a flashpoint between them — and said the district deserves someone who will challenge Trump but also “speak some hard truths at times to our party.”
“We have to clean up our own house, so that when people see us, they don’t see us as part of the problem,” Allred said.
Reps. John Carter, R-Round Rock, and Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, both of whom faced less serious primary competition, handily dispatched of challengers to win renomination in their safe seats.
Redistricted seats
Over the summer, Trump and his political team successfully urged Texas Republicans to redraw the state’s congressional map to yield five new seats for the GOP.
In those five seats Republicans are trying to flip, Trump’s preferred candidate won in two. In the remaining three seats, the Trump-backed candidate either advanced to a runoff or seemed poised to.
In South Texas, where two Democratic-held seats will likely be the most competitive congressional races in the state in November, Trump and Republican leadership’s preferred candidates both won outright.
Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina cruised to victory in the Republican primary to challenge Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, whom national Republicans are targeting again in his competitive district. Tijerina is a former Democrat who switched parties over a year ago and had Trump’s endorsement to take on Cuellar.
Trump pardoned Cuellar, who was facing federal corruption charges, in December – and then attacked him as “disloyal” after he proceeded to seek reelection as a Democrat. Cuellar won his primary by more than 20 percentage points.
Democrats swiftly sought to frame the general election.
“Henry Cuellar is one of the most effective fighters and advocates that the Rio Grande Valley has ever seen,” Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement that went on to call Tijerina “a hand-picked empty suit who has already proven to South Texans that he cannot be trusted.”
Former federal prosecutor Eric Flores won the Republican primary in Texas’ 34th Congressional District, a win for Trump and House leadership who are intent on flipping the Rio Grande Valley-based seat.
The district is currently held by Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, who easily won his primary. Republicans redrew the Rio Grande Valley district to be one the president would have won in 2024 by 10% instead of 4%.
Flores defeated former Rep. Mayra Flores, the party’s candidate in a 2022 special election, the 2022 general election and in 2024, but who lost the last two attempts to Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez.
Republicans have been uber-focused on getting an electable candidate to finally flip the seat. With Eric Flores in place, the former assistant U.S. attorney can pivot to the highly competitive general election immediately, rather than spend another three months in a runoff.
Two of the other redistricted seats will have Republican runoffs in May.
Army veteran Alex Mealer and state Rep. Briscoe Cain advanced to a runoff Tuesday in the 9th Congressional District. The Houston-area district, anchored in southeastern Harris County, favored Trump by a 19% margin in 2024.
Cain, one of the most conservative members of the Legislature, had the backing of Gov. Greg Abbott and statehouse colleagues. But Mealer, who lost a close race for Harris County judge in 2022, earned the support of various local and Washington stakeholders, including Trump — giving her a significant edge.
With a narrow Latino majority, the district is challenging but not impossible terrain for Democrats, and Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder has said the seat is on his personal target list. The Democratic primary has yet to be called but environmental organizer Letiticia Gutierrez held the lead early Wednesday morning.
In a new seat incorporating San Antonio and neighboring counties, both Republicans and Democrats are headed to a runoff in the 35th Congressional District.
State Rep. John Lujan and veteran and businessman Carlos De La Cruz advanced to a runoff in a crowded field that included former 28th Congressional District nominee Jay Furman and former congressional staffer Josh Cortez.
De La Cruz, the brother of South Texas Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg, has Trump’s backing. Lujan, who flipped a blue state house seat in Bexar County, is endorsed by Abbott.
The new district voted for Trump by a 10% margin in 2024 and is majority-Latino. Democrats have added it to their target list but are headed to a runoff between housing organizer Maureen Galindo and Bexar County deputy sheriff Johnny Garcia.
Garcia is backed by the centrist Blue Dogs PAC.
Lastly, the 32nd Congressional District is yet to be called, but Trump-backed Jace Yarbrough, a conservative lawyer and activist, was far ahead of the field in the early Wednesday morning hours. He may be forced into a runoff with Dallas pastor and businessman Ryan Binkley, who was in second. Binkley self-funded a quixotic presidential bid in 2024.
Open races
The Texas congressional delegation’s next era became more clear Tuesday, as three of the seven primary races to replace retiring members in safe districts were settled without a runoff as of early Wednesday morning.
Six Texas Republicans, with varying degrees of experience and ideological stances, announced their retirement this cycle. Two — Houston Rep. Wesley Hunt and Austin Rep. Chip Roy — ran for higher office, while four decided to head for the exits. The retirements of Reps. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, Morgan Luttrell, R-Magnolia, Michael McCaul, R-Austin and Troy Nehls, R-Richmond created open seat contests across the state.
President Donald Trump endorsed successors to five of the six retiring Republicans — all but Arrington. Three of the five won outright, while the remaining two are leading in their races and hovering near the threshold needed to avoid a runoff.
In the 8th, 21st and 22nd Districts, Republican voters elected their presumptive next members of Congress — all voting for Trump-backed candidates.
The Montgomery County-based 8th Congressional District elected Jessica Hart Steinmann, a conservative lawyer, as its Republican nominee. Steinmann had consolidated support in the race from numerous stakeholders, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz.
Former New York Yankees and Texas Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira easily won his primary against 11 other Republicans to become the nominee in the Central Texas-based 21st Congressional District. Teixeira was endorsed by Trump, even though former Federal Election Commission member Trey Trainor, who was nominated to the commission by Trump in his first term, was also in the field.
Former Fort Bend County constable Trever Nehls easily won the Republican primary to succeed his twin brother, retiring Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond. Trever Nehls had Trump’s support and faced only one opponent. The suburban Houston district favors Republicans in November.
In the 10th and 38th Congressional Districts, Trump’s favored candidates will either win outright or head to a runoff as the leader of their respective fields in districts expected to stay in the GOP column in November.
Lawyer Chris Gober, a longtime legal adviser to Texas Republicans, defeated his nine rivals to secure the GOP nomination for Texas’ 10th Congressional District, where Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, is retiring.
Gober became more nationally known in 2024 after he represented the super PAC that Elon Musk used to help return Trump to the White House. He won endorsements from a long list of powerful Republicans, including Trump, Abbott, Cruz and House GOP leadership.
In the 38th Congressional District, a Houston seat vacated by Rep. Wesley Hunt, Jon Bonck, a mortgage loan officer, led the field by a wide margin early Wednesday. Bonck, who was endorsed by Trump, received early support in the primary from Cruz. West Houston airport president Shelly deVallos is in second.
The remaining race in the West Texas-based 19th Congressional District will go to a runoff.
Businessman Tom Sell, who worked for longtime Republican Rep. Larry Combest, finished first by a wide margin. Sell advanced to the runoff, though his opponent is yet to be determined. He could face Abbott-endorsed conservative activist Abraham Enriquez or business owner Matt Smith, both contending for second.
And in Texas’ 30th Congressional District, currently occupied by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, her pastor, Frederick Haynes III, was elected to be the Democratic nominee to replace her in the deep blue Dallas seat. Haynes was the only Texas candidate endorsed this cycle by Justice Democrats, which was founded by former Bernie Sanders staffers to elect progressives to the House.
Haynes, who is all but certain to win the November general election, will join Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, as the two Justice Democrats-backed members of the House from Texas.
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