Trump endorses Steve Toth in Texas’ 2nd Congressional District race

Trump the president backed the state legislator and small-business owner, praising him as a longtime MAGA ally who would fight to cut taxes and secure the border in Congress.

First Published: July 13, 2026, 12:52 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump has endorsed Steve Toth, a Texas state legislator, in the race for Texas’ 2nd Congressional District.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “It is my Great Honor to endorse MAGA Warrior, Steve Toth, who is running to represent the Tremendous People of Texas’ 2nd Congressional District! A Highly Respected State Legislator, and Very Successful Small Business Owner, Steve has been an incredible Voice for MAGA, and has been with me from the very beginning! As your next Congressman, he will fight tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Champion School Choice, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment. Steve Toth has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Texas’ 2nd Congressional District — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

The president described Toth as a small-business owner and a longtime supporter, framing the endorsement around a familiar policy agenda. He tied Toth to promises on taxes, regulation, school choice, energy, border security and the Second Amendment. The message carried Trump’s standard “Complete and Total Endorsement,” the phrasing he reserves for candidates he backs without reservation.

The stakes fall squarely on the primary. A Trump endorsement in a Republican-leaning district often reshapes the field, drawing donors and volunteers toward the favored candidate and pressuring rivals to step aside. The backing offers Toth a fundraising and name-recognition advantage. It raises the cost of staying in for any competitor.

Trump has leaned heavily on endorsements as a tool of party influence. Elections have dominated his recent messaging, accounting for 101 of his 519 Truth Social posts over the last 30 days, according to a Zenger analysis. That volume signals how much of his public attention targets the next slate of Republican candidates.

For the average reader in the district, the endorsement narrows the choice ahead. Primary voters will weigh Trump’s stamp against a candidate’s record and local ties, and the winner will help decide how the district votes in Washington.

Has this happened before? This has happened before, and often. Trump has issued hundreds of endorsements across House, Senate and gubernatorial races since 2016, and his backing has repeatedly propelled candidates through crowded Republican primaries. Many campaigns treat his endorsement as a decisive prize.

The next decision rests with the voters of Texas’ 2nd Congressional District at the ballot box. The post did not announce a specific primary date, and it did not name the field of competing candidates.

Endorsements shaping congressional primaries are a durable feature of American politics, as happened with earlier presidents who guided their parties from the top. Theodore Roosevelt broke from tradition after leaving office in 1909 and re-entered the arena in 1912, splitting the Republican vote and handing Woodrow Wilson the presidency with 435 electoral votes. Presidential intervention in party contests has long carried outsized weight, and the figure at the center of it has often reshaped the outcome far beyond a single race.