AUSTIN, Texas — A new poll shows Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto O'Rourke avoiding primary runoffs and facing each other in the general election for Texas governor this November.
The University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll was released on Monday, the first day of early voting for the March 1 Texas primary election. The poll found Abbott leading O'Rourke by 10 percentage points among verified primary voters. Additionally, according to the poll, independents favor Abbott over O'Rourke nearly 2 to 1.
Abbott is seeking a third term as governor of Texas. O'Rourke, a former congressman, U.S. Senate nominee and presidential candidate, has the most name recognition among Abbott's Democratic challengers.
According to KVUE's media partners at the Austin American-Statesman, a late 2021 poll from the Texas Politics Project showed Abbott with the highest disapproval numbers of his time as governor. However, Monday's poll shows Abbott as the clear favorite among likely Republican voters, with more than 60% supporting his candidacy.
Monday's poll also found Abbott's job approval rating up for the first time in a year, according to the Statesman. The poll shows 44% of voters approve of his performance, 42% disapprove, 12% neither approve nor disapprove and 3% don't know.
Meanwhile, the poll shows the vast majority of likely Democratic voters backing O'Rourke in the Democratic primary, with 93% supporting his candidacy.
Early voting for the Texas primary runs from Monday, Feb. 14, through Friday, Feb. 25. Election day is March 1. For everything you need to know to vote, check out our voter guide.
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