Blog
Texans’ nuanced views on abortion access are at odds with binary political labels – and with the state’s ban on abortion
A battery of questions in the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll, and years of data on abortion attitudes in the state, suggest that voters view access to legal abortion with much more nuance than either our inherited labels or the monolithic positions adopted by the two parties admit. While this nuance is bipartisan, the lack of absolutist views is most notable, and most consequential, among Republican voters whose candidates must claim credit, or take blame, for engineering the rollback in abortion rights that is the new political reality in the U.S. – especially in Texas.
Second Reading Podcast: Why broad labels fail to capture nuances in Texans' views about abortion access
Jim Henson and Josh Blank take a deep dive into new UT/Texas Politics Project Poll data revealing nuances in Texans' views of abortion not captured in broad labels like "pro-life" and "pro-choice."
Assessing the competitiveness of the Trump-Biden rematch in Texas
UT/Texas Politics Project polling suggests some weakness in Biden’s support when compared to this stage of the 2020 campaign among some key groups of Texas voters, akin to similar, widely-noted signs of erosion in support for Biden in some national polling data. At the same time, there are no signs of an immediate collapse in support for Biden even as he fights the gravity of presidential incumbency amidst an economy plagued by persistent rising prices, a dour mood among voters, and yet another unpredictable overall election environment.
New University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll: Trump maintains 48%-40% lead over Biden in head-to-head Texas match-up
The latest University of Texas / Texas Politics Project Poll finds Donald Trump maintaining a comfortable lead over President Joe Biden in Texas as the legally embattled former president seeks to replace the man who defeated him four years ago. In a five-way trial ballot, Trump leads Biden by 9 points, 45% to 36%, followed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. with 8%, and Cornel West and Jill Stein with 2% each. In a hypothetical head-to-head contest between the former and current residents of the White House, Trump leads by 8 points, 48% to 40%.
Job approval for Texas statewide incumbents and other assessment trend data from the Texas Politics Project poll data archive (April 2024 update)
This page compiles graphics for trends in job approval ratings of the current statewide incumbents (Governor, Lt. Governor, U.S. Senators) that Texans rate on every poll. Bookmark the page for easy reference – we’ve also added similar graphics for trends in Texans’ assessment of conditions in Texas and the U.S., and some archival results for comparison with leaders no longer in office, updated with results from the February 2024 University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll.
Second Reading Podcast: What the new UT/Texas Politics Project Poll does and doesn't tell up about the state of the 2024 election in Texas
Jim Henson, Daron Shaw, and Joshua Blank dig into the trial ballot results for the presidential and U.S. Senate races in Texas in the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll.
Early soundings of the 2024 Presidential election in Texas
However contingent the outcome of the presidential election, with the primaries behind us and the summer and fall campaigns yet to unfold, the Texas Politics Project offers a deep archive of data to assess the public opinion context as the current presidential election moves to center stage.
Second Reading Podcast: What to make of the "contract with Texas"?
Jim Henson and Josh Blank talk about the politics and implications of the "Contract with Texas" recently distributed by a group of far-right Texas Republicans, and take notice of a new polling on the presidential and Senate races in Texas from the Texas Hispanic Policy Institute.
Second Reading Podcast: How competitive will Texas be in the 2024 presidential election?
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at past election returns and UT/Texas Politics Project polling data to assess how competitive the presidential election might be in Texas.
Second Reading Podcast: Court rulings, a Speaker's race, and the presidential context in Texas
Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at actions in the courts that influenced politics in Texas this week involving SB 4, abortion, and Ken Paxton, as well as the emerging Speaker's race signaled by Rep. Tom Oliverson's candidacy.