“I voted for Crenshaw regardless of Trump’s endorsement,” 58-year-old Cyndi Garlinger told the Washington Examiner.

Crenshaw’s relationship with the president has been on a downward decline since he did not vote to overturn the 2020 election and was outspoken on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The Texas Republican also had a fallout with the GOP TV personality Tucker Carlson last year.

Other voters in the area told the Washington Examiner they were supporters of Toth but that the president’s involvement had no impact on their support for Crenshaw’s opponent. Meanwhile, some voters threw their support behind Toth after they felt misrepresented by Crenshaw. 

“When he first came on the scene, I was all for him, but he’s kind of sold out, I think, and I don’t agree with his politics anymore,” 47-year-old information technology manager John, who did not wish to have his last name published, said. “I think he’s in it for himself and not the people of Texas.”

“Personally, in regards to Dan Crenshaw, I reached out to him for some help,” 59-year-old Scott Tevington said. “I mean, he never responded to that. I’m not going to vote for him this time.”

This is not the first time Crenshaw has faced an uphill reelection battle. 

The four-term congressman was able to defeat a tough primary challenge without a Trump endorsement in the 2024 election. 

“I make my own opinion,” 51-year-old Stacey Pierce told the Washington Examiner on whether she takes endorsements into account. “I mean, I like that Trump endorses certain people, but if I did not like that person, his endorsement wouldn’t mean anything.”

For nearly a decade, Republican candidates have sought Trump’s endorsement, but as the president heads toward lame-duck status, these endorsements may fade from voters’ minds. The two-term president has controlled much of the GOP landscape since 2015, when he launched his first presidential bid. With him heading into his last two years, many people are left wondering how much weight he will continue to carry. 

“I think it holds weight, but in Texas, I’m not so sure it matters that much,” 61-year-old Al Guadagno said.

Crenshaw’s district will look different in this year’s election than it did in 2024 due to the Trump-backed redistricting effort in the Lone Star State. The redistricted map creates 30 Republican-friendly congressional seats, compared to just eight districts favoring Democrats, resulting in a five-seat boost for the GOP from its current 25-13 advantage.

Toth’s home district falls within the newly drawn 2nd Congressional District in Texas under the new maps. Toth has argued that Crenshaw is not conservative enough in his push to unseat the four-term incumbent.

The congressman’s fate will now lie in the hands of new voters to determine if he is the best fit for the new district, as they head to the polls on March 3. Much of Crenshaw’s “news” tab on his campaign website focuses on his challenger, aiming to protect his own record and target Toth. 

“I’ve always voted for Dan,” 68-year-old Greg Graham told the Washington Examiner. “He’s been a good guy, represented the state good, and he’s got my vote.”

“It’s just the newcomer is not known as well,” Graham continued. 

TRUMP ENDORSES TEXAS REPUBLICANS BUT LEAVES OUT DAN CRENSHAW

Toth has garnered the support of both Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and the House Freedom Caucus, while Crenshaw has secured an endorsement from ex-HFC member Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL). It is yet to be determined whether endorsements such as these will hold weight with the voters of North Houston. 

“Endorsements generally run along the lines of, ‘If you agree with me, I’ll endorse you, and I don’t, that’s tit for tat,’” 57-year-old Kris Connor told the Washington Examiner. “I don’t agree with that. I think people should stand on their own and try to promote what they want to see in the country, and so I’m not a big endorsement guy.”