Steve Toth Holds Crenshaw's Texas House Seat for GOP in Narrow Win

Republican Texas state Rep. Steve Toth has won the race for Texas' 2nd Congressional District, narrowly beating Democrat Shaun Finnie in one of the state's most closely watched House contests.

Decision Desk HQ projected Toth the winner after he took nearly 51% of the vote to roughly 49% for Finnie.

The district covers parts of Harris and Montgomery counties north of Houston and has long leaned Republican. Toth will succeed Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw in the seat.

A Rare Bright Spot for Texas Republicans

Toth's win gave the GOP an important hold in an otherwise rough midterm. Democrats took control of the U.S. House on Tuesday and made historic gains across Texas, where the state voted Democratic statewide for the first time in decades.

READ MORE: Texas Rep. Steve Toth Defeats Dan Crenshaw in GOP Primary

Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, and Democrat James Talarico won the U.S. Senate race. Democrats also picked up several other statewide offices and congressional seats, ending a Republican statewide winning streak that dated back to the 1990s.

That shift made Republican districts once considered safe far more competitive. Texas' 2nd District backed President Donald Trump by a wide margin in 2024, yet this year's race came down to roughly two percentage points.

The result will not stop Democrats from taking the House when the new Congress meets in January, but it denies them another pickup and trims the size of their incoming majority.

For Texas Republicans assessing the fallout from an election that reshaped the state's political map, Toth's victory stands out as one of the party's few successful defenses in a year of widespread losses.

Who Is Steve Toth?

Toth campaigned as a staunch conservative focused on border security, immigration enforcement, government spending and support for Trump's agenda.

"This campaign has been a referendum on representatives who campaign one way and govern another, and the people have spoken," Toth said in a statement after his primary victory.

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The race marks the latest chapter in a long political career. Toth was first elected to the Texas House in 2012 and quickly became known as one of the chamber's most conservative members. After leaving the Legislature in 2015, he made an unsuccessful bid for Congress before returning to the Texas House in 2019. His congressional campaign leaned heavily on the same issues that defined his time in Austin.

Toth currently represents Texas House District 15, which includes part of Montgomery County. He has frequently clashed with Democrats over abortion, immigration, education and state spending, and has been a vocal supporter of parental rights and conservative election policy.

Finnie Came Close

Finnie, a physician, sought to capitalize on the shifting political climate in Texas and on Democrats' push to make further gains in suburban communities. He tried to turn the race into a referendum on Republican governance, focusing on healthcare costs, the economy and opposition to Trump administration policies.

The Democrat sharply narrowed the usual Republican edge in the district and kept the race competitive deep into the count, but ultimately fell short.

Toth will now head to Washington as Republicans move into the House minority and Democrats prepare to install Hakeem Jeffries as speaker.