Wounded Navy SEAL from Houston makes bid for Congress

Former Navy SEAL Daniel Crenshaw is vying for the Republican nomination to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ted Poe. Former Navy SEAL Daniel Crenshaw is vying for the Republican nomination to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ted Poe. Photo: Daniel Crenshaw Photo: Daniel Crenshaw Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Wounded Navy SEAL from Houston makes bid for Congress 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

WASHINGTON – A wounded Navy SEAL who lost an eye in Afghanistan is vying for the Republican nomination to replace retiring GOP Congressman Ted Poe in the Houston region's sprawling second district.

Daniel Crenshaw, a retired lieutenant commander, is making his first foray in to politics since he was medically retired a year ago following a 10-year career in the SEALS that included tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Crenshaw, 33, was nearly blinded in 2012 when he was hit by an IED blast in Afghanistan's Helmand province, where he was on his third deployment. He lost his right eye in the blast, and his left eye was badly damaged. After several surgeries to regain sight in his left eye, a "miracle" according to his head surgeon, Crenshaw deployed twice again, to Bahrain and Korea.

"I am running for Congress to continue fighting for the country I love," he said in a statement Tuesday. "I am running because our country needs leaders, not politicians. I fought and bled for ten years as a Navy SEAL in Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Korea, because I know the importance of service before self."

Though he has yet to formally roll out his campaign, he made clear he will be running as a conservative Republican and a "patriot" focused on national and border security and foreign affairs.

A Houston native who graduated from Tufts University in 2006, Crenshaw continued his studies after the military, completing a master's degree at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

With Poe's decision to retire after six terms in Congress, the primary race in the Republican-leaning district is getting crowded. One contender is David Balat, a business executive who was originally challenging Houston Republican John Culberson in the Seventh Congressional District – until Balat lost his home in Hurricane Harvey and decided to move into the Second District with its newly-open seat.

Also joining the field is Texas Rep. Kevin Roberts, R-Houston, and businessman Rick Walker, CEO of GreenEfficient.

Houston Democrat Todd Litton also has filed with the Texas Secretary of State to run for the seat. But Democrats would appear to have little chance in the mostly Republican-leaning suburban district. President Donald Trump carried the district over Democrat Hillary Clinton by more than 9 percentage points.