Cruz's Popularity Takes A Hit In KTVT-CBS 11/Dixie Strategies Poll
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Sen. Ted Cruz won the Republican presidential primary in Texas with nearly 44 percent of the vote. But most voters now do not think very highly of the U.S. lawmaker, according to the latest KTVT-CBS 11/Dixie Strategies Poll numbers which were released on Thursday.
More than 52 percent of those likely to vote in the upcoming election said that they found Cruz to be "very unfavorable." This opinion extends across all race and gender lines, and matches closely to the thoughts of those in the DFW area specifically.
While the GOP nominee has been a point of divisiveness within the party, Cruz's choice to not endorse the real estate mogul has turned voters against him, the survey showed.
More than 53 percent of Republican voters in Texas find Cruz to be either "much less favorable" or "somewhat less favorable" after he opted not to offer an endorsement for GOP nominee Trump. The biggest swings in opinion came from Republicans who identified themselves as being either liberal or moderate.
Our survey also shows if the election for U.S. Senate was held today, it would be a tight race for Cruz. Almost 32 percent of Texans said that they would still vote for Cruz over Democratic U.S. Rep Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, who recently told CBS11 he's considering running against Cruz. The men are separated by less than a percentage point.
More than 22 percent of likely voters said that their ballots are up for grabs. Around another 14 percent of likely voters are planning to select a different candidate.
But pollster Brian Graham of Dixie Strategies says time is still on Cruz's side. He says by 2018 he expects most Republicans who are either undecided or prefer another candidate will shift back in Cruz's direction.
Our poll also found if the primary election was held today, Republicans across Texas would pick Cruz over either Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick or Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush. The poll showed Cruz leading Patrick by nearly 15 points and Bush by nearly 20 points. But again, undecided voters account for 23 percent or more in both instances. Patrick tells CBS11 he is not running for U.S. Senate and not running for Governor. He says he will only run for re-election in 2018.
The KTVT-CBS 11/Dixie Strategies Poll was conducted on August 8-9 and includes the viewpoints of 1,018 likely voters across Texas who were contacted and surveyed over the phone. The results include 448 Republicans, 305 Democrats and 265 others. It has a 3.1 percent margin of error and a 95 percent confidence level.
