Texas voters have a lower opinion of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn than they do even of President Joe Biden, according to a statewide poll conducted by the University of Texas.

The poll was conducted between June 16 and 24. While basking in accolades from inside the Washington, D.C. beltway, Cornyn was sternly rebuked in June by an official statement approved by delegates to the Republican Party of Texas’ biennial convention. And then, to double down on that sentiment, his speech to the convention was greeted by a deafening chorus of jeers and boos, which didn’t let up during his address.

The poll conducted by the University of Texas’ Texas Politics Project Poll asked voters if they approved or disapproved of the job performance of Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton, U.S. Sens. Cornyn and Ted Cruz, President Joe Biden, and the generic “U.S. Congress.”

Poll Results

UT / Texas Politics Project Poll

Cornyn’s approval numbers came in at 24 percent—markedly lower than Biden’s 35 percent. The generic “U.S. Congress” had 18 percent approval.

Cruz and Abbott had the highest approval numbers at 41 percent and 43 percent, respectively, with Patrick at 35 percent and Paxton at 34 percent.

For the Republican officeholders, disapproval numbers ran from 39 percent for Paxton to 46 percent for Abbott. Cornyn’s was worse, at 50 percent disapproval, while Biden’s job performance is disapproved by 55 percent of Texas. But even there, Cornyn was worse off compared to the highly unpopular president by virtue of his “net” disapproval—26 points, compared to Biden’s 20.

While Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton face re-election in November, Cruz and Biden don’t face voters again until 2022. Sen. Cornyn has until 2026 to rehabilitate his image with voters.

Michael Quinn Sullivan

Michael Quinn Sullivan is the publisher of Texas Scorecard. He is a native Texan, a graduate of Texas A&M, and an Eagle Scout. Previously, he has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine contributor, Capitol Hill staffer, and think tank vice president. Michael and his wife have three adult children, a son-in-law, and a dog. Michael is the author of three books, including "Reflections on Life and Liberty."

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