Trump, Biden Tied In Texas: Quinnipiac University Poll

AUSTIN, TX — A new poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University shows Joe Biden and Donald Trump tied in Texas as each pursues the presidential post, with both garnering 47 percent of survey respondents.

Given its sheer vastness with attendant huge population, the electoral college-rich state is a key battleground state in any presidential election. The new poll finds Trump losing ground among likely voters in the traditionally red state, coming on the heels of a previous poll that had Trump with 50 percent support compared to 45 percent for his Democratic rival.

The gap is even larger among those voting by mail, with 63 percent of respondents expressing support for Biden compared to 31 percent supporting Trump. “Biden and Trump find themselves in a Texas stand-off, setting the stage for a bare knuckle battle for 38 electoral votes,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said in a prepared statement.

Researchers noted the poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percent, and is a measure of likely voters.

The poll also assessed the key race for U.S. Senate pitting incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn against Democrat M.J. Hegar — a political contest that is being watched closely by political pundits given substantive implications of its outcome. Cornyn of late has distanced himself from Trump in the event the president loses to Biden, recently saying he privately disagreed with the administration's siphoning of military budget funds to help build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

According to the poll, Cornyn leads Hegar among likely voters with a 49-43 percent margin. The poll indicates 7 percent of likely voters still were undecided. The poll also illustrates a slight of erosion of support for Cornyn, with the last survey on Sept. 24 showing 50 percent support for the longtime incumbent compared to Hegar's 42 percent.

Likely voters give Hegar a 33-26 percent favorability rating in the poll, while 39 percent saying they hadn't heard enough about her to form an opinion. Last month, voters gave Hegar a positive 29 percent to 19 percent favorability rating while 50 percent expressing a lack of familiarity with her platform. Comparatively, likely voters give Cornyn a positive 42 percent to 30 percent favorability rating, while 26 percent say they haven't heard enough about him to formulate an opinion.

"While Cornyn maintains a lead, there are still two weeks to go, and you can't count Hegar out," Malloy noted.

Texas: Trump handling of the economy, the coronavirus pandemic

Likely voters are split on the way Trump is handling his job as president with 49 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving, according to the poll — virtually unchanged from a September 24 survey when voters were divided as 50 percent approved and 48 percent disapproved.

On Trump's handling of the coronavirus response, likely voters give him a slightly negative approval with 46 percent approving and 51 percent disapproving. That compares to a split score in September, when it was 49 percent to 49 percent.

About the Quinnipiac University Poll

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts gold-standard surveys using random digit dialing with live interviewers calling landlines and cell phones. The Quinnipiac University Poll conducts nationwide surveys and polls in more than 20 states on national and statewide elections, as well as public policy issues.

For more information, visit the Quinnipiac University website or the Quinnipiac University Poll Facebook page.