Blogs: August 2026

With new polling data from the August poll in hand, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk over what the trial ballots and other election-related items can and can't tell us about the state of Texas races as summer winds down.

The August 2026 University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll finds 42% of Texas voters preferring Democrat James Talarico and 39% planning to vote for Republican Ken Paxton in the hotly contested U.S. Senate race in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott led Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa 45%-40%, as Texans continue to voice reservations about data centers and express intense concern about prices.

In a new pod, James Henson and Joshua Blank look at public opinion data from rural Texas to assess how big a problem the state's Republican leaders have among rural voters after a summer of rural pushback on data centers, high capacity power lines, and economic concerns.

Check back for updates on all non-partisan polling of the U.S. Senate race race between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state representative James Talarico.

James Henson and Joshua Blank return from a July podcasting hiatus to catch up on Texas polling in the Senate and gubernatorial races, and consider the influences on the election environment in Texas.

Check back for updates on all non-partisan polling of the Gubernatorial race race between incumbent Governor Greg Abbott and Democratic state representative Gina Hinojosa.