This week, Defend Texas Liberty released its general election poll in preparation for Election Day tomorrow, which shows Texas’ statewide Republican candidates are holding a significant lead over Democrats.
The poll, encompassing Republican and Democrat registered voters, first asked Texans which party they planned to support in the midterm elections. Of the respondents polled, 50 percent supported Republicans, 40 percent were for Democrats, 1 percent planned to vote for a different party, and 8 percent were unsure.
When asked if they supported Republican incumbent Greg Abbott or Democrat gubernatorial candidate Robert “Beto” O’Rourke, 53 percent of voters chose Abbott, while 42 percent selected O’Rourke, giving Abbott an 11-point lead. Additionally, 2 percent said they would vote for a different candidate, and 3 percent were undecided.
Similarly, when asked for their opinion of Abbott, 51 percent had a favorable view, and 45 percent had an unfavorable view. In contrast, most voters had unfavorable views of O’Rourke, with only 40 percent reporting a favorable opinion of the Democrat candidate.
Recently, O’Rourke came under fire for supporting open border policies and trying to register dead voters.
The poll also included Texas’ other statewide elections.
When asked if they would support Republican incumbent Dan Patrick, Democrat Mike Collier, or Libertarian Shanna Steele for lieutenant governor, 46 percent of voters chose Patrick. Thirty-eight percent selected Collier, 6 percent preferred Steele, and 9 percent were undecided, leaving Patrick with an 8-point lead.
For the attorney general race, 44 percent of voters picked Republican Ken Paxton, 38 percent chose Democrat Rochelle Garza, and 5 percent selected Libertarian Mark Ash. Twelve percent were undecided, giving Paxton a 6-point lead, slightly lower than Abbott’s or Patrick’s.
The poll also asked Texans about their top concerns going into the election. Twenty-seven percent of voters cited record-level inflation as their most important issue, 22 percent listed abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier this year, 19 percent listed border security, 11 percent listed election integrity, and 10 percent listed gun rights.
A demographic breakdown included in the poll showed that most Hispanic Texans describe themselves as conservative. Of the Hispanic voters polled, 31 percent identified as conservative, 28 percent as liberal, 25 percent as moderates, and 17 percent were unsure.
The poll’s results reflect recent reports of Hispanic Texans shifting from the Democrat Party to the Republican Party because of record inflation, high gas prices, and the invasion at the southern border.
Jonathan Stickland, former state representative and current leader of Defend Texas Liberty, highlighted the new poll as proof that Texans across the state are turning away from the Democrat Party.
“Texas Democrats haven’t won a statewide election in Texas this century, and every poll we have conducted shows voters will once again shut them out this year,” said Stickland. “Radical leftists like Beto O’Rourke, Mike Collier, and Rochelle Garza are on track for a major defeat. Texas voters don’t want Democrats in charge. They want conservative Republican leaders committed to passing conservative Republican policies into law.”
The entire poll may be viewed here.
Election Day is November 8.
