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51% Of Texas Voters Say Abbott Doesn't Deserve To Be Reelected, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; President Biden's Approval Numbers Head South

As Governor Greg Abbott faces reelection in 2022, a slight majority of voters say 51 - 42 percent that he does not deserve to be reelected, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea-ack) University poll of Texas registered voters released today. In June 2021, voters were split, as 48 percent said he did not deserve to be reelected and 46 percent said he did.

Today, Governor Abbott receives a divided 44 - 47 percent job approval rating, marking the first time Abbott's score is underwater since Quinnipiac University began polling in Texas in April 2018. In today's poll, Republicans approve 83 - 12 percent, independents are divided with 43 percent approving and 47 percent disapproving, and Democrats disapprove 89 - 6 percent.

Texas voters say 50 - 33 percent that they do not think Beto O'Rourke would make a good governor, while 17 percent did not offer an opinion. Voters say 49 - 25 percent that they do not think Matthew McConaughey would make a good governor, while 26 percent did not offer an opinion.

"A lukewarm to downright cool response to an Abbott rerun in Austin, but compared to the high-profile young guns who may have eyes on a possible gubernatorial run, the governor is tall in the saddle," said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.

Voters were asked about Abbott's handling of four separate issues, and he received one positive score out of the four.

  • Handling the economy: 53 percent approve, while 39 percent disapprove;
  • Handling the situation at the Mexican border: 43 percent approve, while 46 percent disapprove;
  • Handling the response to the coronavirus: 46 percent approve, while 50 percent disapprove;
  • Handling the issue of abortion: 37 percent approve, while 53 percent disapprove.

Voters are split on whether Abbott is taking Texas in the right or wrong direction, as 48 percent say that Abbott is taking Texas in the wrong direction and 45 percent say in the right direction.

Voters were also asked if they thought Greg Abbott would make a good president. Two-thirds (67 percent) said no, while 24 percent said yes.

"Despite high marks for his handling of the economy, emotional lightening rod issues like policing the border, containing COVID-19, and legislating the right to choose in Texas are not helping Governor Abbott's standing with the voters," added Malloy.

BIDEN APPROVALS

Voters in Texas give President Joe Biden a negative 32 - 61 percent job approval rating. This marks a 24- point net change from June 2021, when 45 percent of Texas voters approved of the job he was doing and 50 percent disapproved.

On Biden's handling of the response to the coronavirus, voters give him a slightly negative 44 - 49 percent approval rating. This is a substantial drop from June 2021 when they approved 58 - 37 percent.

On Biden's handling of the situation at the Mexican border, voters give him a negative 20 - 71 percent approval rating, which is a drop compared to a negative 29 - 64 percent rating in June 2021.

2020 ELECTION AUDIT

After the recent announcement of an audit of the 2020 election results in four of Texas' largest counties, Texas voters approve 53 - 41 percent of this audit. However, voters also say 51 - 43 percent that they do not believe that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. When it comes to voting in Texas in general, only 19 percent of voters say it is too easy, while 22 percent say it is too difficult, and 55 percent say it is about right.

SITUATION AT MEXICAN BORDER

Voters approve 57 - 31 percent of the Biden administration's decision to deport Haitian refugees who entered the U.S. illegally. Republicans approve 73 - 22 percent, independents approve 54 - 34 percent, and Democrats are divided with 44 percent approving and 45 percent disapproving.

"The tidal wave of refugees from the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, wracked by the assassination of its president, crushed by yet another devastating earthquake, held captive by murderous gangs and victimized by a COVID surge, no doubt evokes sympathy. But Texans say sending them home was the right choice," added Malloy.

About half of voters (51 percent) support Texas building a wall along the state's border with Mexico, while 44 percent oppose it. The results are largely unchanged from June 2021.

ELECTED OFFICIALS

When it comes to other Texas elected officials, voters gave them mixed or negative job approval ratings.

  • Texas State Legislature: 38 percent approve, 50 percent disapprove, with 12 percent not offering an opinion;
  • Sen. Ted Cruz: 47 percent approve, 47 percent disapprove, with 6 percent not offering an opinion;
  • Sen. John Cornyn: 35 percent approve, 41 percent disapprove, with 24 percent not offering an opinion.

Former President Donald Trump gets a mixed favorability rating from Texas voters, as 43 percent say they have a favorable opinion and 47 percent say they have an unfavorable opinion.

863 Texas registered voters were surveyed from September 24th - 27th with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Doug Schwartz, Ph.D. since 1994, conducts independent, non-partisan national and state polls on politics and issues. Surveys adhere to industry best practices and are based on random samples of adults using random digit dialing with live interviewers calling landlines and cell phones.

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