Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is pulling away from Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke, aided by the support of Hispanics and the state’s opposition to abortion.
In the latest Emerson College/the Hill survey, the abortion issue — recently supercharged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s move to strike down Roe v. Wade — appeared to be helping the Republican governor.
Ditto with the ongoing border crisis, which has prompted the governor to ship illegal immigrants to Washington, including dozens sent to the gate of Vice President Kamala Harris’s official home.
“Voters were asked which candidate they align with most on the issue of abortion rights. Forty-nine percent align with Abbott while 44% align with O’Rourke. On the issue of border security, 58% align with Abbott and 39% with O’Rourke,” said the survey analysis.
Overall, Abbott leads O’Rourke 50%-42%. The governor’s lead has grown by 1 point since the last Emerson survey in February.
Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said, “Texas’ white voters prefer Abbott over O’Rourke 60% to 35%, and Hispanic voters plan to vote for the governor 46% to 42%.”
He also said 63% of Texas voters expect Abbott to win.
