Democrats have hoped to expand the map for Vice President Kamala Harris with Texas, but a new poll shows former President Donald Trump with a firm lead in the state.
A poll from Emerson College-the Hill-Nexstar Media shows Trump leading Harris 50.9%-45.6% in the Lone Star State. The former president has maintained a lead over the vice president in recent surveys conducted in the state, and he holds an edge in favorability over Harris in the poll.
Trump’s favorability is almost even, with 50.1% saying they view him as very or somewhat favorably, while 49.9% said they view him very or somewhat unfavorably. Harris is viewed more unfavorably by a majority of Lone Star State voters, 53.6%-46.4%.
Trump and Harris have been focused on the battleground states in the Rust Belt and the Sun Belt, including Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Some Democrats see an opening in Texas, which has shifted more blue despite remaining a Republican state.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff participated in multiple campaign events in Texas earlier this week, but Harris and Trump have not held campaign rallies in the state as part of their general election push.
In 2016, Trump won Texas 52.2%-43.2%, but in 2020, the victory margin for Trump shrunk to 52.1%-46.5%. Democrats also mounted a strong bid to oust Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2018, but the Republican prevailed by a narrow 2.6-point margin.
In the RealClearPolitics polling average, Trump leads Harris in Texas 50%-44.8%, and the Cook Political Report has rated the presidential race in the state as “likely Republican.”
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Democrats are again seeking to beat Cruz in his reelection bid, with Rep. Collin Allred (D-TX) running for the Senate seat. In the survey, Cruz leads Allred 48.9%-44.9%. As Democrats hope to maintain their majority in the Senate, some are beginning to look toward contests in Texas and Florida as the Montana race becomes increasingly daunting.
In the Texas Senate race, Cruz leads Allred 47%-42% in the RealClearPolitics polling average, and the Cook Political Report has rated the contest as “likely Republican.”