Poll: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott 7 Points Ahead of Democrat Beto O’Rourke

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) maintains a solid seven-point lead over Democrat opponent Beto O’Rourke in the Texas Governor’s race, according to a poll.

The Dallas Morning News/ University of Texas at Tyler poll shows 45 percent of registered voters support Abbott as opposed to 38 percent who back O’Rourke, a failed senatorial and presidential candidate. Libertarian candidate Mark Tippetts and Green Party candidate Delilah Barrios both garnered three percent of the response, while another seven percent said they support another candidate. Abbott’s seven-point advantage is consistent with his Real Clear Politics average lead of 6.8 percent.

Among Latinos, the current poll shows Abbott trails O’Rourke by seven percentage points, at 38 percent and 45 percent, respectively. A smaller gap exists among independents, with 31 percent supporting Abbott versus 34 percent who are behind O’Rourke.

Voters believe Abbott is better equipped to handle essential issues. Concerning crime reduction, 43 percent stated Abbott would do a better job than O’Rourke as opposed to 30 percent who think the former congressman would fare better. Similarly, voters supported Abbott over O’Rourke on the issues of border security, handling the electrical grid, and improving the community. The one issue where more voters believe O’Rourke would do a better job is in bringing Texans together.

The poll also gauges how Texans feel about President Joe Biden. Just 41 percent of registered voters approve of Biden’s presidential performance, versus 56 percent who disapprove to varying degrees, which included 63 percent of independents and 54 percent of Latinos polled. An even lower number, 37 percent, approve of how he has managed the economy. The plurality of poll respondents, 48 percent, stated “Biden and Congress” are mostly to blame for inflation. Another 27 percent pointed to “[s]upply problems,” and 12 percent said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is mostly responsible for inflation. Only nine percent believe Abbott and the state legislature bear most of the responsibility for inflation in the Lone Star State.

Before losing to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the 2018 U.S. Senate race, O’Rourke served as the U.S. congressman for the state’s Sixth Congressional District from 2013-2019. After coming up short in his senatorial bid, O’Rourke launched a presidential campaign in 2020 but failed to secure a single delegate in the Democratic primary, unlike seven of his opponents.

The poll sampled 1,384 registered voters from August 1-7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.