Daniel Reed Crenshaw is an American politician and United States Navy SEAL veteran. He currently serves as the United States representative for Texas’s 2nd congressional district. Crenshaw has an impressive military background, having graduated from Tufts University and received an officer’s commission in the U.S. Navy through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program. He served on SEAL Team 3 in both the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan, where he unfortunately lost his right eye due to an IED explosion. Despite this setback, Crenshaw received numerous awards for his service, including two Bronze Star Medals. After his military career, he earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Crenshaw’s dedication to public service led him to become a military legislative assistant for U.S. Representative Pete Sessions before being elected as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Daniel Reed Crenshaw
- Age: 39 Years, 39 Year Old Males
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Tara Blake (m. 2013)
- Father: Jim Crenshaw
- Mother: Susan Carol Crenshaw
- Born Country: Scotland
- Notable Alumni: Tufts University
- Education:
- Harvard Kennedy School (2018)
- Tufts University (2006)
- Colegio Nueva Granada (2002)
- Harvard University
Early Life & Military Service
Daniel Reed Crenshaw was born on March 14, 1984, in Aberdeen, UK, to American parents Jim Crenshaw and Susan Carol Crenshaw. He was raised in Katy, Texas. At the age of 10, Crenshaw lost his mother to cancer. Due to his father’s job as a petroleum engineer, the family lived abroad in Ecuador and Colombia for several years. This experience allowed Crenshaw to become proficient in Spanish. He attended Colegio Nueva Granada in Bogotá, Colombia, and graduated in 2002. Crenshaw then returned to the US and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations with a minor in physics from Tufts University in 2006. During his time at Tufts, he joined the NROTC program. After graduating, Crenshaw received an officer’s commission in the United States Navy (USN). He underwent training in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California, and graduated with BUD/S class 264. He also completed SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) in June 2008 and became a Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) Officer.
Crenshaw served in the USN for a decade from 2006 to September 2016, retiring as a Lieutenant Commander. He completed five tours of duty, including deployments to Fallujah, Iraq, and Afghanistan. During his third deployment, Crenshaw was injured by an IED explosion in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. He lost his right eye and suffered severe damage to his left eye. After undergoing multiple surgeries, he regained vision in his left eye. Crenshaw continued to serve in the USN for four more years, with deployments to Bahrain in 2014 and South Korea in 2016. He received several military decorations, including the Purple Heart, two Bronze Star Medals (one with a “V” device), and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with valor.
Political Career
In November 2017, Crenshaw, a Republican, announced his candidacy for the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas’s 2nd District. He focused on issues of national security, border security, and immigration reform during his campaign. Crenshaw gained national attention when he was endorsed by Senator Tom Cotton and featured in print media and on television. During his campaign, he defended President Trump’s proposal to build a wall on the Mexico-United States border. Crenshaw won the general election in November 2018 and assumed office as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas’s 2nd district on January 3, 2019.
During his time in office, Crenshaw has co-sponsored bills, including one that sought to extend time limits for claims under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act. He has a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee and a 0% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America. Crenshaw has been a staunch defender of Donald Trump and voted against his impeachment in 2019. He has also supported Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been critical of regulations hindering the development of COVID-19 tests. Crenshaw was re-elected in 2020 and spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention.
Personal Life & Other Endeavors
Crenshaw is married to Tara Blake since 2013 and is a Methodist. In February 2020, he launched the Hold These Truths podcast and authored the book Fortitude: American Resilience in the Era of Outrage. He underwent emergency eye surgery in April 2021 after his left eye’s retina started to detach.