Poll: Texas Voters Overwhelmingly Trust Abbott over O’Rourke to Secure the Border

Voters in Texas overwhelmingly trust Gov. Greg Abbott (R) over Democrat challenger Robert Francis (Beto) O’Rourke to secure the border — the top issue identified by Lone Star State voters — a recent UTTyler survey found.

The survey, taken October 17-24, 2022, among 1,330 registered voters and 973 likely voters, found respondents choosing “securing the border” as the top issue facing the state (28 percent). The economy/inflation came in second with 20 percent, followed by “reproductive rights” and gun control, which garnered ten percent each. Notably, “reproductive rights” and gun control remain the top two issues for Democrats, but both Republicans and independents choose the border and the economy as the most pressing issues.

When asked who would handle the issues facing Texas better, Abbott came away as the star on nearly every issue. 

Likely voters trust Abbott to handle securing the border over O’Rourke 55 percent to 29 percent — a difference of 26 percent. Forty-nine percent believe Abbott will do a better job improving the economy, compared to 37 percent who said the same of O’Rourke. Voters are also more confident that Abbott will reduce crime, handle the electrical grid, and improve schools. O’Rourke has a slight edge on “bringing people together,” leading by a single percentage point. 

The overall survey showed Abbott leading the Democrat by six percent. It coincides with a Quinnipiac University poll released in September, also showing the Texas-Mexico border as the top issue for Texans:

The survey asked respondents, “In your opinion, what is the most urgent issue facing Texas today: COVID-19, inflation, climate change, the Texas-Mexico border, health care, election laws, racial inequality, schools, crime, abortion, taxes, or gun policy?”

The Texas-Mexico border tops the list of issues with 38 percent choosing it. No other issue comes close, as abortion is behind by double digits, with 17 percent choosing that issue. 

Inflation comes in third place with 11 percent identifying it as the most urgent issue. No other issue garners double digit support. 

Abbott made waves earlier this year after busing migrants to blue jurisdictions, bringing the left’s open border policies, which they supposedly embrace, to their own doorstep.

“All you have to do is look at the numbers of the people who are coming across the border, as well as those who are victims of human trafficking, and you see that there is one person who is responsible for this, and that’s Joe Biden,” Abbott said during an October appearance on Fox News.

“Go back two and a half years ago, and you saw the fewest illegal border crossings in multiple decades. Then Joe Biden eliminated every measure put in place by President Trump that has now led to an all-time record — in the past year there have been more than 2.2 million people crossing the border illegally,” he added.

Last week, the Texas Legislative Budget Board announced the authorization of roughly $875 million for public safety initiatives, which include border security.