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DCCC Targets Houston Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s District For Takeover

Political analysts rate the suburban Houston district as “Likely Republican”.

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Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, walks through the halls on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, walks through the halls on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has named Houston Republican Dan Crenshaw's 2nd Congressional District as a target for November. Flipping this district would be a long shot for Democrats, but not impossible.

Brandon Rottinghaus of the University of Houston said the move is as much as anything a way for Democrats to raise money for this and other races.

"Dan Crenshaw's been a very visible figure for Republicans," Rottinghaus said. "He is really the kind of conservative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. So he's somebody who the Democrats would definitely like to see taken down. And this might be wishful thinking, but it's also a symbolic way to show the Democrats are going to compete everywhere, even against the most strong-looking Republicans."

Candidates competing in the Democratic primary to challenge Crenshaw include teacher and Navy veteran Elisa Cardnell, attorney and former Beto O’Rourke campaign adviser Sima Ladjevardian and former Department of Homeland Security employee Travis Olsen.

Rottinghaus said the suburban Houston district has been trending more Democratic in recent elections. Crenshaw won his first term in 2018 by just over seven percentage points. Both the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rate the district as "Likely Republican" in 2020.