HOUSTON – The University of Houston released on Wednesday results of an online survey that shows incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbott with a narrow lead over Democrat contender Beto O’Rourke.
The poll, conducted by UH Hobby School of Public Affairs, shows that 47 percent of Texas’ registered voters plan to cast their ballots for Abbott, with O’Rourke trailing closely behind with 42 percent. There is just a little more than three months left before the Nov. 8 Teas state elections.
Recommended Videos
As noted on UH’s website, Of those respondents, nearly all Abbott supporters (95%) and O’Rourke supporters (92%) said they will hold firm in their decision, with only 5% and 8% indicating they were open to changing their minds before voting time.
Among the survey respondents who identified as Democrat, 96% intended to vote for O’Rourke, compared with just 1% who said they will vote for Abbott. Among respondents who identified as Republican, 91% intended to vote for Abbott, compared to 2% who said they will vote for O’Rourke.
The survey asked which of 15 current issues matter most in the choice for governor. Overall, more than three-fourths of respondents indicated five issues were “very” or “extremely” important in the race for governor: inflation (84%), crime and public safety (83%), government spending and taxes (78%), economic growth (78%), and health care costs (76%).
Political allegiance made a clear difference. Among Abbott supporters, more than nine out of 10 of the survey’s likely voters put emphasis on four issues in the governor’s race: inflation (96%), immigration and border security (94%), crime and public safety (92%), and government spending and taxes (91%).
Among O’Rourke supporters, nine out of 10 likely voters in the survey selected three issues as most influential in their vote for governor: voting rights (94%), gun control (92%), and health care costs (90%).
Read FULL REPORT of findings on the University of Houston’s website.