Texas voters tend to trust Republicans more than Democrats on key issues, such as education and the Chinese coronavirus, as President Biden sees his approval ratings sour in the Lone Star State, a Dallas Morning News/UT Tyler poll released this week found.
That survey, taken January 18-25, 2022, among 1,082 registered voters, asked respondents which party they trust more on three key issues — education, the coronavirus, and race issues.
“What party do you trust more on education in Texas?” the survey first asked.
By a five-point margin, a majority of respondents, 51 percent, said they trust Republicans more on that issue than the Democrats’ 46 percent. Notably, independent voters also gave Republicans a three-point edge on that specific issue.
The survey then asked, “What party do you trust more to help keep your community safe during the coronavirus pandemic?”
Again, voters gave Republicans the edge, 49 percent to the Democrats’ 46 percent. However, independent voters indicated more trust in Democrats over Republicans on that issue, giving the GOP 42 percent to the Democrats’ 47 percent.
The survey also asked respondents which party they trust more on “race issues” in Texas — an issue traditionally dominated by Democrats. However, voters remained perfectly split, giving both Republicans and Democrats 48 percent, signaling trouble for far-left Democrats.
The seemingly souring opinions on Democrats and how they handle issues come as President Biden struggles to garner support among the American people one year into his presidency, as 56 percent of Texas respondents disapprove of his job performance. Of those in that category, 42 percent “strongly” disapprove. However, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has 51 percent approving of his job performance in the Lone Star State as he enters the upcoming Republican primary with strong figures, besting his primary challengers by double digits.
The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.