A poll by the Telemundo Station Group and Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy looked at the Texas governor’s race and several key issues in Texas.
In the race for governor, 54% of registered voters surveyed would support Democratic former El Paso Rep. Beto O’Rourke while 31% would vote for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The remaining 12% are undecided. (See the poll below)
"I think traditionally it's tracking close to the two-thirds, one-third, in terms of support,” said Clarissa Martinez, vice president of UnidosUS Latino Vote Initiative.
The poll looked at key issues in Texas, including guns. Registered voters polled were asked whether or not gun laws should be more strict in the state. Sixty-three percent said gun laws should be more strict, while 32% said they should not.
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Martinez said in their poll, which included Texas voters, gun violence reached the number two spot.
“It is not surprising given the shock of Uvalde and also the lingering memory of the massacre in El Paso targeting very specifically Latinos because of who they were,” said Martinez.
This poll could signal a shift in voting preferences. Of those questioned, 54% identified as Democrat, 21% Republican and 25% independent.
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In a similar 2019 poll, 63% identified as Democrat, 20% as Republican, and 17% as independent or other. So, while Republicans stayed the same, it was the independents that gained the Democratic voters.
“In terms of the larger increase in independents, I think that is the Latino community is saying you have to win us over. It’s our community, it’s our priorities, and the policies that we want to see,” said Angelica Razo, Mi Familia Vota Texas state director.
