Texas Mythbusters

Surprising findings from TPOR's first poll

Welcome

Hey y’all, welcome back! In today’s post we’ll be doing a deep-dive into key findings from our first poll conducted by Lake Research Partners which surveyed 800 registered voters in Texas from August 24th through August 29th, 2024. The poll covered Texas values, Texans’ ideologies, and how voters are feeling about some of the most pressing issues in the state. In our latest edition, we’ll be breaking down some of the data we found that contradicted “conventional wisdom” and “myth-busting” some widely-held assumptions about Texas, including Latino views on immigration; energy policy; reproductive rights; freedom vs. opportunity; and public education in Texas. 

1) Immigration: Latinos in Texas view immigration similarly to other Texans

Our research found that Latinos in Texas are largely on the same page as the rest of the electorate when it comes to immigration and border security. 

Immigration is a top-2 issue for Texans across the state, and the same is true among Latinos. 34% of all voters in the Lone Star State believe that border security should be a top priority for elected officials, with a majority (55%) of Texans characterizing immigration as a safety and security concern (31%) or as a means of controlling the flow of migrants (24%). 43% see immigration as a humanitarian (32%) or resource issue (11%). 

TPOR’s findings show that Latino Texans echo the sentiments of their fellow Texans on the issue—29% view immigration as a safety concern, while 19% believe that the issue is primarily about controlling the influx of migrants at the southern border. 33% consider it a humanitarian crisis, and 13% see it as a resource issue. 

When it comes to preferred solutions on border security and immigration, Latino voters once again hold similar views to other Texans. 48% of Texans overall and 45% of Latino Texans support a balanced approach to immigration, one which secures the border and limits illegal entry, while also growing legal pathways to enter the country. 

2) Energy Issues: Texans view the grid as the priority; supporting oil and gas comes second 

Even though Texas is the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the nation, the top priority for voters when it comes to energy policy is addressing the grid emergency in the state. According to TPOR’s latest findings, fixing the electric grid is the most pressing issue for voters, while supporting oil and gas comes second in terms of energy priorities. 14% of all voters and 16% of Independents rank the grid and infrastructure above oil and gas production (8%) when asked about the top priorities that they want their elected officials to focus on. However, while the grid remains top of mind for the entire electorate, oil and gas was still identified as a priority by a meaningful number of voters.

When it comes to reducing costs and improving the reliability of the grid in Texas, no single approach has a mandate from the electorate. Notably, almost two thirds of voters in the state support stimulating the growth of renewable energy as at least part of addressing existing issues with the grid. 33% of Texas voters prefer an approach which focuses on natural gas and oil production, while 32% expressed support for a mixed approach involving renewables and oil and gas production (this includes 38% of Independents). 31% support promoting renewable energy to make the grid more reliable and reduce costs. 

Overall, voter attitudes are split on the best path forward for fixing the grid and supporting Texas' energy future, but one thing is clear - an “all of the above" energy policy would be widely popular based on our research. The majority of Texas voters seem to both believe that Texas can and should continue to champion a robust oil and gas economy, especially considering the geopolitical and national security concerns related to American energy production and export, AND that Texas can and should support its burgeoning renewable energy sector as a means of diversifying its energy sources and cutting emissions. 

3) On abortion: Texans views are far more liberal than their laws

TPOR’s latest findings show that Texans' preferences on abortion access are a lot more liberal than the state’s current set of laws, and voters are seriously concerned over threats to reproductive rights. 

When asked about concerns that were top of mind, voters placed abortion and reproductive health issues (24%) among the top 3 issues that they would like to see their elected officials focus on right now—ranking only behind border security (34%) and affordability (29%). 

When presented with a series of pro and anti-choice statements, 55% of all voters expressed that the pro-choice statements were closer to their views, with only 9% of voters expressing that the most extreme statement, “all abortions should be made illegal” was aligned with their views. 

Texans are broadly aligned with voters in critical battleground states when it comes to reproductive rights. In states like Arizona (80%), Nevada (80%) and Georgia (73%) an overwhelming majority of all voters (including a robust number of Republicans) oppose the criminalization of abortion before fetal viability. Further, a minority of voters in the above mentioned states (12% in Arizona, 13% in Georgia and 7% in Nevada) support criminalizing abortion at all stages of pregnancy.

Regarding accessibility, a majority of voters (52%) in Texas find the state’s abortion laws to be too restrictive with 23% of Republicans, 60% of Independents, and 89% of Democrats all saying that abortions are too difficult to access. This sentiment extends across racial demographics, with 46% of white voters, 73% of Black voters and 57% of Latino voters expressing that abortion is too inaccessible in the state. 

4) Texas values: Freedom first! Opportunity…close to last. 

Texas voters place a higher premium on "freedom" than on "opportunity," and they are proud of it.

When asked about their core values, “freedom” topped the list at 33%, followed by “family” (23%) and “accountability” (18%). In contrast, “opportunity” ranked near the bottom at just 6%.This sentiment is especially strong among 39% of Independents, 35% of Black voters, and 31% of Latino voters, who all ranked freedom as their most important value. 

When asked what makes them proud to be Texans, freedom and rights came out on top at 13%, with another 9% pointing to being free, sovereign, and independent. Only 4% of voters identified opportunity as a source of pride, underlining the fact that freedom and individual ideals, rather than opportunity and economic ideals, resonate heavily with voters in the state. 

5) Public education: Funding is a problem; voters know it and want money for public schools

Public education is a top-five concern for Texans, with 23% of all voters and 24% of Independents prioritizing it. A significant 60% of voters, including 56% of Independents, believe Texas public schools are underfunded. This concern is shared by 69% of Black voters, 63% of Latino voters, and 57% of White voters, who all agree that public schools lack sufficient funding. Notably 44% of Republicans feel that public schools in the state do not receive enough funding. 

Our polling shows that a majority of voters (63%) believe state tax revenue for education should be used exclusively for public schools, while 32% think it should go to funding both public and private schools. 

While there’s broad consensus on the need for better funding for public schools, voters are divided on which party is best suited to improve education quality. The poll shows Democrats hold a slight advantage over Republicans (+4) on this issue.

Thanks for reading this far! Stay tuned for more polling and analysis from TPOR, and if you found this post useful, please share with friends and family, and most importantly, subscribe for free!