New poll shows Ted Cruz, Colin Allred virtually tied for Texas Senate seat
Texas politicians Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Colin Allred are neck-to-neck in the race for one of the state's two Senate seats, a Wednesday poll shows.
The Emerson College Polling survey, last updated Tuesday, shows a mere one percentage point between the two candidates. Incumbent Sen. Cruz is leading with 48%, while challenger Rep. Allred is pulling 47%. This is even closer than the same poll's September numbers, which showed Cruz leading by four percentage points at 49% and Allred at 45%.
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Here's a breakdown of the poll numbers:
| Overall Support (%) | Support from Independent Voters (%) | "Favorable" Views (%) | "Unfavorable" Views (%) | |
| Ted Cruz (R) | 48 | 42 | 49 | 50 |
| Colin Allred (D) | 47 | 47 | 46 | 44 |
Stephen Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, provided some context regarding how polling numbers had shifted.
Rep. Colin Allred gaining points in name recognition
Aside from support and perception of candidates, the poll also measures how many respondents recognize the candidates' names. This can be a hurdle for challengers, as voters are generally more familiar with incumbents.
"Allred’s name recognition has improved since last month; 18% had never heard of him in early September, decreasing to 15% in late September, and to 10% this month," Kimball said.
LIST: Top issues for Texas voters
The top issues for Texas voters, according to Emerson College Polling, are as follows:
- Immigration (32%)
- Economy (26%)
- Abortion Access (11%)
- Threats to Democracy (8%)
- Healthcare (5%)
- Education (5%)
Trump leading Harris in Texas, according to Emerson College Polling
Over the past several weeks, data by Emerson College Polling suggests support for Vice President Harris has remained stagnant in Texas. Meanwhile, support for former President Donald Trump has steadily risen.
| Support - Sept. 6 (%) | Support - Sept. 27 (%) | Support - Sept. 6 (%) | |
| Donald Trump (R) | 50 | 51 | 53 |
| Kamala Harris (D) | 46 | 46 | 46 |
"Trump’s increase in support is driven by shifts in key groups: Independent voters, who broke for Harris by six points in September, now break for Trump by two, 49% to 47%," Kimball said. "Trump’s lead extended among men from 19 to 23 points this month, while women are consistent since last month in favoring Harris by six points."