A new poll released this week shows Democratic candidate for Governor Wendy Davis down by 9 points, with her Republican opponent Greg Abbott inches away from claiming a majority of those surveyed.
The results of a trial ballot issued by the Texas Lyceum group shows Attorney General Greg Abbott claiming 49-percent of those polled and 40-percent stating they’d vote for his Democratic gubernatorial opponent Senator Wendy Davis.
“Davis had been underperforming amongst some of the groups that she was expected to win with by a lot, for example Blacks, Hispanics, Women," said Texas Lyceum's Josh Blank. He adds "Greg Abbott was doing very well with those groups but as we kind of got into the real meat of the campaign season she is starting to pick up those votes where you would expect her and the race is tightening. It’s still not within striking distance for her, it’s a lot of ground to make up in 5-weeks.”
The group also looked at the Lt. Governor’s race which shows stagnant results for San Antonio Democratic State Sen. Leticia Van De Putte in her run against Houston Republican State Sen. Dan Patrick. Patrick is leading by 14 points.
Blank said, “Republicans have been tuned in for awhile because of the competitive primary process, whereas Democrats are just coming around they’re just less of them. Van De Putte is plagued to some degree by her low name-ID and the fact that it’s just super expensive to run a race here.”
He says for Texas Democrats, their best hope is that Davis is able to pull off a victory and Van De Putte is able to ride along for that win. But he says it’s hard to imagine how she is able to make up a large percentage of that 14 point gap.
