Molly Prince, DCNF

Ret. Lt. Cmdr. and Republican candidate Dan Crenshaw defeated his Democratic challenger Todd Litton on Tuesday to win Texas’s 2nd Congressional District.

Despite consistently polling ahead of Litton by double digits, Democrats were optimistic the area would flip blue due to the rapidly changing demographics of Harris County. Ultimately, Crenshaw beat out Litton.

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The district has been represented by Republican Rep. Ted Poe who announced his retirement in November 2017. Poe flipped the seat red when he first took office in 2005 and it has since been a GOP stronghold. Litton, a director of an education non-profit, announced his run for the seat prior to Poe’s retirement. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi showed her support for the Democrat by pledging $7,000 to his campaign.

Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, served five deployments overseas — while on his third combat tour, he was hit by an IED blast during a mission in Afghanistan that destroyed in right eye and badly injured his left eye. After multiple surgeries, Crenshaw retained sight in his left eye and went on to deploy two more times, first to the Middle East, then to South Korea.

Crenshaw told The Daily Caller News Foundation in April that he hopes to bring much needed credibility to America’s political institution.

“[Those who serve in the military are] problem solvers,” Crenshaw said. “We care about impact, we care about mission, we care about service before self, and I think Congress can use a little bit of that.”

Crenshaw was thrown into the spotlight the weekend before Election Day after “Saturday Night Live” mocked him for the injuries he sustained while fighting for America.

“Good rule in life — I try hard not to offend, I try harder not to be offended,” Crenshaw responded. “That being said, I hope [“Saturday Night Live”] recognizes that vets don’t deserve to see their wounds used as punchlines for bad jokes.”

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