UT Tyler poll shows slight jump in Abbott’s numbers

TYLER — The race to be the next governor of Texas is heating up, and depending on the polls you follow, it’s tightening up as well. Governor Abbott saw his poll numbers jump 2 points over Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke between August and September, according to the latest survey out of The University of Texas at Tyler. Abbott now holds a 9-point lead over O’Rourke among registered voters in Texas. One reason for the bump, Governor Abbott’s $46-million dollar campaign war chest is nearly double that of O’Rourke’s. UT Tyler Political Scientist Mark Owens.says, “If we’re talking about bringing people together and less polarization, or about the sake of our schools, the election is going to be a lot closer between Abbott and O’Rourke then compared to whether we’re talking about securing the border or reducing crime.” According to the UT Tyler poll, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick holds an 11-point lead in his re-election effort over Democratic challenger Mike Collier, and incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton holds a 7-percent lead over his Democratic opponent Rochelle Garza.