Texans’ Assessments of Political Leaders in March, 2021 Statewide Polling

April 4, 2021
By: 
Jim Henson

The most recent Texas Politics Project statewide poll focused primarily on attitudes toward the February storm that resulted in infrastructure failures throughout the state, but the poll also included job approval ratings for Texas elected officials and President Joe Biden, as well as some policy-related approval items for several leaders. We’ve gathered them in one place for reference below, with selected crosstabs and trend items where available. The poll was a collaboration between the Texas Politics Project and the UT Energy Institute. Data was collected March 19 to 26, 2021 (N=1200 self-declared registered voters).

Many of the graphics below are interactive – toggle the elements in the legend to turn elements on or off.

Governor Greg Abbott job approval

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categoryTotal
Approve strongly22%
Approve somewhat23%
Neither approve nor disapprove10%
Disapprove somewhat9%
Disapprove strongly34%
Don't know1%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Approve strongly4%16%40%
Approve somewhat7%18%39%
Neither approve nor disapprove7%24%8%
Disapprove somewhat11%13%6%
Disapprove strongly70%23%7%
Don't know1%6%0%

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CategoryLean conservativeSomewhat conservativeExtremely conservative
Approve strongly26%44%51%
Approve somewhat41%43%30%
Neither approve nor disapprove11%3%8%
Disapprove somewhat13%3%4%
Disapprove strongly8%7%8%
Don't know1%0%0%

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CategoryWhiteBlackHispanic
Approve strongly28%14%12%
Approve somewhat27%10%23%
Neither approve nor disapprove9%6%15%
Disapprove somewhat7%13%10%
Disapprove strongly28%55%37%
Don't know1%3%3%

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CategoryUrbanSuburbanRural
Approve strongly21%21%29%
Approve somewhat17%25%29%
Neither approve nor disapprove7%8%18%
Disapprove somewhat10%10%5%
Disapprove strongly43%36%17%
Don't know2%1%1%

Abbott approval trends

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PollApproveDisapproveNeither/Don't Know
November 201542%29%28%
February 201641%29%30%
June 201642%31%27%
October 201642%33%25%
February 201745%33%23%
June 201745%38%16%
October 201748%33%19%
February 201846%31%23%
June 201847%36%18%
October 201852%32%17%
February 201951%32%17%
June 201951%31%18%
October 201952%28%21%
February 202048%34%18%
April 202056%32%13%
June 202049%39%13%
October 202047%40%14%
February 202146%39%15%
March 202145%43%11%
April 202143%45%13%
June 202144%44%11%
August 202141%50%9%
October 202143%48%10%
February 202244%42%15%
April 202247%41%13%
June 202243%46%12%
August 202246%44%10%
October 202247%44%9%
December 202249%41%8%
February 202346%43%12%
April 202346%41%12%
June 202347%42%12%
August 202345%45%10%

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PollApproveDisapproveNeither/Don't Know
November 201570%8%23%
February 201669%8%23%
June 201673%7%21%
October 201675%5%21%
February 201780%5%15%
June 201783%8%10%
October 201779%5%14%
February 201881%5%14%
June 201880%7%14%
October 201889%4%8%
February 201983%6%10%
June 201984%4%12%
October 201979%6%15%
February 202084%8%12%
April 202088%6%7%
June 202083%7%9%
October 202081%13%7%
February 202179%10%11%
March 202179%13%8%
April 202177%13%10%
June 202177%12%11%
August 202173%18%9%
October 202179%15%6%
February 202274%14%12%
April 202280%10%11%
June 202278%11%12%
August 202280%12%8%
October 202286%8%6%
December 202287%6%8%
February 202383%7%10%
April 202379%9%12%
June 202381%10%8%
August 202381%11%8%

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PollApproveDisapproveNeither/Don't Know
November 201513%56%23%
February 201618%50%33%
June 201612%60%27%
October 201612%62%26%
February 201713%61%27%
June 20179%70%20%
October 201714%64%21%
February 201812%59%29%
June 201814%67%18%
October 201812%67%21%
February 201916%63%22%
June 201918%62%21%
October 201924%51%24%
February 202013%64%24%
April 202024%59%16%
June 202013%74%13%
October 202013%70%17%
February 202113%73%14%
March 202111%81%8%
April 20217%83%9%
June 20218%82%9%
August 20216%90%4%
October 20215%85%9%
February 202214%75%12%
April 202212%79%9%
June 20226%86%7%
August 202211%84%6%
October 20229%81%9%
December 202213%78%9%
February 202314%78%8%
April 202319%74%8%
June 202314%76%10%
August 202313%78%9%

Other Texas job approvals 

U.S. Senator John Cornyn

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categoryTotal
Approve strongly12%
Approve somewhat21%
Neither approve nor disapprove16%
Disapprove somewhat14%
Disapprove strongly28%
Don't know9%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Approve strongly4%5%21%
Approve somewhat7%13%36%
Neither approve nor disapprove11%27%17%
Disapprove somewhat14%17%12%
Disapprove strongly53%23%8%
Don't know11%16%6%

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CategoryLean conservativeSomewhat conservativeExtremely conservative
Approve strongly13%25%26%
Approve somewhat27%41%31%
Neither approve nor disapprove15%12%11%
Disapprove somewhat20%9%15%
Disapprove strongly13%6%14%
Don't know12%7%2%

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

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categoryTotal
Approve strongly28%
Approve somewhat15%
Neither approve nor disapprove8%
Disapprove somewhat5%
Disapprove strongly41%
Don't know4%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Approve strongly4%17%52%
Approve somewhat5%10%26%
Neither approve nor disapprove4%15%8%
Disapprove somewhat4%6%6%
Disapprove strongly80%43%6%
Don't know3%9%2%

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CategoryLean conservativeSomewhat conservativeExtremely conservative
Approve strongly29%54%68%
Approve somewhat28%24%23%
Neither approve nor disapprove10%8%4%
Disapprove somewhat13%2%2%
Disapprove strongly18%8%3%
Don't know2%3%1%

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CategoryWhiteBlackHispanic
Approve strongly36%10%19%
Approve somewhat18%4%12%
Neither approve nor disapprove5%8%14%
Disapprove somewhat6%4%5%
Disapprove strongly33%68%44%
Don't know3%7%5%

Cruz approval trends

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SENCRUZApproveDisapproveNeither/Don't Know
Oct. 201544%37%20%
Feb. 201637%42%21%
June 201635%43%22%
Oct. 201635%45%20%
Feb. 201738%39%23%
June 201738%44%18%
Oct. 201738%43%18%
Feb. 201840%41%19%
June 201839%41%20%
Oct. 201847%42%11%
Feb. 201946%41%13%
June 201947%39%14%
Oct. 201946%39%15%
Feb. 202042%44%14%
Apr. 202045%39%15%
June 202046%42%13%
Oct. 202046%42%12%
Feb. 202145%43%12%
Mar. 202143%46%12%
Apr. 202143%48%9%
June 202143%46%11%
Aug. 202142%46%12%
Oct. 202145%46%12%
Feb. 202239%43%18%
Apr. 202243%43%13%
June 202241%45%13%
Aug. 202242%44%13%
Oct. 202243%44%13%
Dec. 202244%44%11%
Feb. 202340%46%13%
Apr. 202345%41%14%
June 202345%42%14%
Aug. 202342%45%13%

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SENCRUZApproveDisapproveNeither/Don't Know
Oct. 201575%12%14%
Feb. 201665%18%18%
Jun. 201660%21%20%
Oct. 201664%20%16%
Feb. 201767%13%20%
June 201770%13%18%
Oct. 201765%18%17%
Feb. 201882%12%15%
June 201874%9%18%
Oct. 201887%6%6%
Feb. 201983%7%10%
June 201981%7%12%
Oct. 201979%8%13%
Feb. 202080%10%11%
April 202081%6%14%
Jun. 202081%8%11%
Oct. 202085%8%7%
Feb. 202181%9%10%
Mar. 202178%12%10%
Apr. 202180%13%8%
June 202179%10%10%
Aug. 202177%10%13%
Oct. 202182%6%11%
Feb. 202270%12%18%
Apr. 202278%11%11%
June 202275%11%14%
Aug. 202278%11%11%
Oct. 202280%8%11%
Dec.202282%9%8%
Feb. 202378%10%13%
Apr. 202378%11%11%
June 202377%10%13%
Aug. 202375%12%12%

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SENCRUZApproveDisapproveNeither/Don't Know
Oct. 201510%66%24%
Feb. 201612%66%21%
June 201610%70%19%
Oct. 20167%74%19%
Feb. 201711%67%22%
June 20177%75%17%
Oct. 201711%73%16%
Feb. 201811%73%17%
June 20189%74%16%
Oct. 20186%83%10%
Feb. 201910%78%12%
June 201912%75%13%
Oct. 201915%71%14%
Feb. 20206%81%13%
Apr. 20209%79%12%
June 20209%80%11%
Oct. 20208%79%13%
Feb. 20217%84%10%
Mar. 20219%84%7%
Apr. 20215%88%6%
June 20215%86%9%
Aug. 20214%89%7%
Oct. 20215%86%10%
Feb. 202212%76%13%
Apr. 20227%83%10%
June 20227%86%8%
Aug. 20228%81%10%
Oct. 20228%83%9%
Dec. 202211%81%8%
Feb. 202312%81%8%
Apr. 202317%73%10%
June 202314%75%11%
Aug. 202314%78%9%

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SENCRUZApproveDisapproveNeither/Don't Know
Oct. 201534%40%26%
Feb. 201625%48%26%
June 201623%51%26%
Oct. 201627%49%23%
Feb. 201720%53%27%
June 201731%48%20%
Oct. 201737%38%25%
Feb. 201830%40%30%
June 201817%43%39%
Oct. 201826%47%27%
Feb. 201925%45%30%
June 201938%34%28%
Oct. 201930%50%20%
Feb. 202029%40%32%
Apr. 202029%42%29%
June 202037%38%24%
Oct. 202025%56%21%
Feb. 202132%37%32%
Mar. 202127%49%24%
Apr. 202133%52%16%
June 202133%49%17%
Aug. 202135%50%15%
Oct. 202127%57%15%
Feb. 202229%49%23%
Apr. 202224%46%29%
June 202222%51%27%
Aug. 202231%49%20%
Oct. 202228%46%26%
Dec. 202229%49%22%
Feb. 202329%55%16%
Apr. 202322%49%28%
June 202334%44%22%
Aug. 202327%57%17%

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

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categoryTotal
Approve strongly22%
Approve somewhat15%
Neither approve nor disapprove17%
Disapprove somewhat6%
Disapprove strongly31%
Don't know10%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Approve strongly6%15%38%
Approve somewhat4%12%26%
Neither approve nor disapprove13%26%18%
Disapprove somewhat6%9%5%
Disapprove strongly61%25%6%
Don't know11%14%8%

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CategoryLean conservativeSomewhat conservativeExtremely conservative
Approve strongly23%38%53%
Approve somewhat26%29%23%
Neither approve nor disapprove25%17%10%
Disapprove somewhat3%3%4%
Disapprove strongly14%5%5%
Don't know9%8%5%

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CategoryWhiteBlackHispanic
Approve strongly27%8%15%
Approve somewhat19%8%9%
Neither approve nor disapprove14%15%25%
Disapprove somewhat5%8%8%
Disapprove strongly28%43%28%
Don't know7%17%16%

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CategoryUrbanSuburbanRural
Approve strongly17%22%27%
Approve somewhat14%12%25%
Neither approve nor disapprove17%16%17%
Disapprove somewhat6%5%6%
Disapprove strongly34%33%17%
Don't know11%11%8%

Speaker of the House Dade Phelan

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categoryTotal
Approve strongly6%
Approve somewhat13%
Neither approve nor disapprove29%
Disapprove somewhat8%
Disapprove strongly13%
Don't know31%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Approve strongly4%2%9%
Approve somewhat6%9%20%
Neither approve nor disapprove21%34%35%
Disapprove somewhat11%10%5%
Disapprove strongly25%14%2%
Don't know33%32%28%

Attention to the Texas legislative session

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categoryTotal
Extremely closely8%
Somewhat closely36%
Not very closely40%
Not at all closely16%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Extremely closely9%7%7%
Somewhat closely36%37%37%
Not very closely39%33%43%
Not at all closely17%24%12%

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CategoryLiberalsModeratesConservatives
Extremely closely7%5%11%
Somewhat closely37%35%37%
Not very closely38%40%41%
Not at all closely18%20%12%

Joe Biden job approval

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categoryTotal
Approve strongly26%
Approve somewhat18%
Neither approve nor disapprove11%
Disapprove somewhat5%
Disapprove strongly39%
Don't know1%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Approve strongly56%12%2%
Approve somewhat31%21%5%
Neither approve nor disapprove9%23%10%
Disapprove somewhat1%10%6%
Disapprove strongly2%30%76%
Don't know1%4%1%

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CategoryLean liberalSomewhat liberalExtremely liberal
Approve strongly56%57%49%
Approve somewhat26%32%36%
Neither approve nor disapprove13%5%5%
Disapprove somewhat3%1%5%
Disapprove strongly2%5%3%
Don't know1%0%2%

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CategoryWhiteBlackHispanic
Approve strongly21%45%28%
Approve somewhat13%34%19%
Neither approve nor disapprove8%12%19%
Disapprove somewhat6%1%5%
Disapprove strongly53%7%26%
Don't know1%1%2%

Policy approvals

Abbott ending of capacity limits in Texas

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categoryTotal
Strongly approve34%
Somewhat approve13%
Somewhat disapprove10%
Strongly disapprove39%
Don't know/No opinion4%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Strongly approve4%30%62%
Somewhat approve9%14%16%
Somewhat disapprove11%10%10%
Strongly disapprove74%30%10%
Don't know/No opinion3%16%2%

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CategoryWhiteBlackHispanic
Strongly approve43%8%25%
Somewhat approve15%12%11%
Somewhat disapprove11%11%8%
Strongly disapprove29%60%50%
Don't know/No opinion2%9%6%

Abbott ending of statewide mask mandate

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categoryTotal
Strongly approve34%
Somewhat approve11%
Somewhat disapprove7%
Strongly disapprove44%
Don't know/No opinion4%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Strongly approve5%30%60%
Somewhat approve5%9%16%
Somewhat disapprove7%11%7%
Strongly disapprove81%37%13%
Don't know/No opinion2%13%3%

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CategoryWhiteBlackHispanic
Strongly approve42%11%25%
Somewhat approve13%10%8%
Somewhat disapprove8%9%5%
Strongly disapprove34%65%56%
Don't know/No opinion3%4%6%

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CategoryMaleFemale
Strongly approve41%28%
Somewhat approve12%10%
Somewhat disapprove7%8%
Strongly disapprove37%50%
Don't know/No opinion4%4%

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CategoryUrbanSuburbanRural
Strongly approve28%34%42%
Somewhat approve10%10%14%
Somewhat disapprove5%9%9%
Strongly disapprove54%43%31%
Don't know/No opinion4%4%4%

Abbott handling of response to Coronavirus

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categoryTotal
Approve strongly24%
Approve somewhat20%
Neither approve nor disapprove7%
Disapprove somewhat13%
Disapprove strongly35%
Don't know1%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Approve strongly4%18%43%
Approve somewhat7%15%31%
Neither approve nor disapprove4%16%6%
Disapprove somewhat16%20%10%
Disapprove strongly69%24%9%
Don't know0%7%0%

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CategoryLean conservativeSomewhat conservativeExtremely conservative
Approve strongly25%50%51%
Approve somewhat34%35%26%
Neither approve nor disapprove9%2%5%
Disapprove somewhat12%5%11%
Disapprove strongly19%8%8%
Don't know1%0%0%

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CategoryWhiteBlackHispanic
Approve strongly30%7%19%
Approve somewhat24%15%14%
Neither approve nor disapprove6%5%10%
Disapprove somewhat13%17%12%
Disapprove strongly27%56%43%
Don't know1%1%3%

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CategoryUrbanSuburbanRural
Approve strongly21%25%27%
Approve somewhat16%18%28%
Neither approve nor disapprove5%6%11%
Disapprove somewhat12%14%12%
Disapprove strongly43%36%20%
Don't know2%1%1%

Approval of winter storm response

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categoryTotal
Your local government47%
Governor Greg Abbott41%
Senator Ted Cruz31%
The Texas Legislature28%
Senator John Cornyn26%
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)12%
Railroad Commission of Texas12%
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)8%

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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Your local government45%32%52%
Governor Greg Abbott11%32%70%
Senator Ted Cruz9%16%55%
The Texas Legislature13%13%48%
Senator John Cornyn9%15%44%
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)8%7%15%
Railroad Commission of Texas9%7%16%
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)9%6%8%

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CategoryLiberalsModeratesConservatives
Your local government45%39%52%
Governor Greg Abbott7%26%72%
Senator Ted Cruz5%15%57%
The Texas Legislature8%21%46%
Senator John Cornyn6%16%44%
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)9%11%15%
Railroad Commission of Texas9%9%16%
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)7%8%9%

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CategoryWhiteBlackHispanic
Your local government53%43%37%
Governor Greg Abbott51%20%28%
Senator Ted Cruz38%15%19%
The Texas Legislature34%19%22%
Senator John Cornyn31%20%15%
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)11%12%12%
Railroad Commission of Texas12%12%13%
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)6%14%12%

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CategoryUrbanSuburbanRural
Your local government49%43%51%
Governor Greg Abbott31%41%56%
Senator Ted Cruz26%28%46%
The Texas Legislature26%24%45%
Senator John Cornyn21%24%39%
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)16%9%11%
Railroad Commission of Texas19%8%12%
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)15%7%5%

 

Keywords: covid-19, 2021 winter storm, greg abbott, joe biden, dade phelan, dan patrick