Daniel Reed Crenshaw (born March 14, 1984) is an American politician and former United States Navy SEAL officer serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 2nd congressional district since 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Crenshaw was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, and served on SEAL Team 3 in the War in Afghanistan, reaching the rank of lieutenant commander. He was wounded in action during his third deployment, losing his right eye to an improvised explosive device. He was later a legislative assistant to Representative Pete Sessions.
Crenshaw was first elected to Congress in 2018. In 2026, he lost renomination in the Republican primary to state representative Steve Toth.
Early life and education Daniel Reed Crenshaw was born to American parents in Aberdeen, Scotland, on March 14, 1984. He grew up in Katy, Texas. His mother Susan died of cancer when he was ten years old. His father, Jim Crenshaw, is a petroleum engineer who worked abroad, and Crenshaw spent time growing up in Ecuador and Colombia, developing proficiency in Spanish. In 2002, he graduated from Colegio Nueva Granada in Bogotá, Colombia.
After high school, Crenshaw returned to the United States and attended Tufts University, graduating in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in international relations and a minor in physics. After a decade of military service, he studied public administration at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, receiving a Master of Public Administration in 2017. He worked as a military legislative assistant for U.S. representative Pete Sessions.
Military service While at Tufts, Crenshaw joined the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps and received an officer's commission in the U.S. Navy after graduation. He received orders to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. After six months of training, Crenshaw graduated with BUD/S class 264. He completed SEAL qualification training in June 2008 and received the 1130 designator as a Naval Special Warfare Officer, entitled to wear the Special Warfare Insignia. Crenshaw served for ten years and five tours of duty, reaching the rank of lieutenant commander. His first deployment was to Fallujah, Iraq, where he joined SEAL Team Three. He was based out of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in Coronado, California.
Crenshaw lost his right eye in 2012 during his third deployment when he was hit by an IED explosion in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. The blast destroyed his eye, and he required surgery to save the vision in his left eye. He remained in the Navy for four years after the injury, and served his fourth and fifth tours of duty in Bahrain and South Korea.
As a Navy SEAL, Crenshaw was awarded two Bronze Star Medals, one with "V" device, the Purple Heart, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with valor. He medically retired from military service in 2016 with the rank of lieutenant commander.
U.S. House of Representatives Elections
2018
In 2018, Crenshaw ran for the United States House of Representatives in , which includes northern and western Houston, including Kingwood, Humble, Atascocita, Spring, and the Rice University area, to succeed the retiring Ted Poe. He announced his candidacy in November 2017. Crenshaw credited national security analyst John Noonan for encouraging him to run for Congress. In a February 2018 interview, he said that border security and immigration reform would be two of his campaign issues.
Crenshaw and Kevin Roberts advanced from the nine-candidate first round of the Republican primary election to face each other in a runoff election; Crenshaw received 155 votes more than Kathaleen Wall, a candidate backed by Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott. The lead-up to the runoff election was contentious. A super PAC funded by Roberts' brother-in-law, Mark Lanier, focused on Crenshaw's 2015 criticisms of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, despite Roberts having also been critical of Trump in the past. The ads also compared Crenshaw's policy proposals to those of President Barack Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders. Gaining the endorsement of Senator Tom Cotton, Crenshaw received national attention, appearing in print and television, including on Laura Ingraham's show on Fox Business.
Crenshaw won the runoff to advance to the November general election. On November 6, he defeated Democratic nominee Todd Litton, 52.8% to 45.6%. After the election, Crenshaw called for the depoliticization of comedy and sports and expressed a desire that political rhetoric be toned down.
On the November 3 episode of Saturday Night Live, comedian Pete Davidson joked about the appearances of multiple candidates in the 2018 midterm elections and described Crenshaw as looking like a "hit man in a porno movie" while adding that he lost his eye in "war or whatever". The joke received widespread criticism and on the following episode, Davidson and Crenshaw appeared on air together. Davidson offered an apology, which Crenshaw accepted. Crenshaw also used the segment to advocate for veterans' issues. Crenshaw and others have speculated that the joke may have helped him win, as well as aided later fundraising. Two years later, Davidson rescinded his apology, saying he had been "forced to apologize", adding that "I didn't think I did anything wrong." In response, Crenshaw called it "a little sad" that Davidson "can't stop thinking" about him.
2020
Crenshaw was reelected in 2020, defeating Democratic nominee Sima Ladjevardian from Houston, Texas with 55.6% of the vote to Ladjevardian's 42.8%.TEXAS ELECTION RESULTS, OFFICIAL RESULTS, Congressional District #2 , Texas Secretary of State, November 3, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2021. During the campaign, he spent over $11 million through October 16, 2020, making it one of the most expensive Congressional races in the country.
2022
Crenshaw was reelected in 2022, defeating Democratic nominee Robin Fulford by a nearly two-to-one margin.
2024
Crenshaw was reelected in 2024, defeating Democratic nominee Peter Filler by 66% to 34%.
2026
Crenshaw, the only House Republican from Texas seeking re-election without a Trump endorsement, lost the Republican primary to Steve Toth, who campaigned to his right. Even though Crenshaw raised $1.3 million more than his opponent, Crenshaw lost to Toth in a redrawn district where newly added territory in Montgomery County brought in more of Toth’s supporters, according to reports.
Tenure
Crenshaw spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention on August 26, 2020.
The Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs implicated Crenshaw and V.A. Secretary Robert Wilkie in a 2020 report as having engaged in a campaign of disparagement toward a female veteran who reported sexual assault to the Navy. Crenshaw said, "The Democrats created this narrative".
In March 2021, The Daily Beast reported that Crenshaw had violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to properly disclose stock trades that he made in March 2020.
Crenshaw is publicly critical of the Freedom Caucus, whom he regards as divisive "performance artists" for constantly attacking moderate Republicans.
In February 2025, a hot mic captured Crenshaw stating that he wanted to "fucking kill" conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. Carlson and Crenshaw have previously feuded; Carlson has dubbed Crenshaw "Eyepatch McCain" and one of the "dumbest" Republicans, while Crenshaw has called Carlson a "cowardly, know-nothing elitist". Crenshaw's comment sparked backlash from other conservatives, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Elon Musk. Carlson responded "Why don't you come sit for an interview and we'll see how you do? I'll send you my address."
On February 24, 2026, Crenshaw voted against the ROTOR Act, which sought to require the installation of "specific location transmission technology" in all aircraft and repeal "certain military exemptions from the technology requirements". The bill was introduced by Texas senator Ted Cruz in response to the January 29, 2025, crash over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.Senate Aviation Safety Bill Rejected by House, Roll Call, February 24, 2025.
Committee assignments For the 119th Congress: Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment (Vice Chair) Subcommittee on Health Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Subcommittee on Central Intelligence Agency Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture (Chairman)
Caucus membership Republican Study Committee Congressional Western Caucus
Political positions
Abortion Crenshaw opposes abortion. In 2019, he received a 0% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America and a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee. He has said that "life starts at conception", that he believes Roe v. Wade was a "bad precedent to set", and that abortion rights "should be decided by the states". When the Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned Roe, Crenshaw released the statement: "Historic. The issue goes back to the states, back to the people."
Gun rights Crenshaw opposes gun control measures. In response to the shootings in Dayton and El Paso, after an initial comment to possibly explore red flag laws as a possible solution to gun violence, Crenshaw argued that such laws should be discussed at state level rather than nationally, saying, "What you're essentially trying to do with a red flag law is enforce the law before the law has been broken, and that's a really difficult thing to do" and "if there's such a threat that they're threatening somebody with a weapon already, then they've already broken the law, so why do you need this other law?" after the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting. In January 2025 Crenshaw introduced the "Preventing Unjust Red Flag Laws Act," which stops federal money being given to states which have red flag laws. This bill is presently with the House Judiciary Committee. Crenshaw has also said that raising the legal age to purchase a firearm to 21 is ineffective but supports expanding background checks to include juvenile criminal history.
In 2020 and 2022, Crenshaw received an "A+" rating and endorsement from the NRA Political Victory Fund.
COVID-19 pandemic During the COVID-19 pandemic, Crenshaw said that Democrats and the media were exaggerating the threat. He was a high-profile defender of Trump's response to the pandemic. He did not wear face masks consistently in settings advised by health experts and mandated by Governor Greg Abbott.
Crenshaw argued that FDA regulations impeded the development of COVID-19 tests.
Healthcare Crenshaw favors repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), describing it as an "unmitigated disaster". During his 2018 campaign, he advocated allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, becoming one of a handful of Republicans to endorse what was primarily a progressive idea. By 2019, however, Crenshaw had retreated from this position.
On May 24, 2019, Crenshaw co-sponsored a bill to extend time limits for claims under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act.Congress.gov Cosponsors: H.R.1327 Never the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act – 116th Congress (2019–2020) , May 24, 2019.
Crenshaw has introduced legislation to fund research into the use of psychedelic therapy as a treatment option for military members suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.
Donald Trump
According to Politico, Crenshaw "voted with Donald Trump most of the time but isn't a loyalist. He's a stalwart conservative willing to criticize other conservatives."