AUSTIN, United States — Ken Paxton leads John Cornyn by eight percentage points among likely voters in the Republican Senate primary runoff scheduled for May 26, according to a poll released Friday by Texas Public Opinion Research.
The survey, conducted by Slingshot Strategies, shows Paxton with 48% support compared to Cornyn’s 40%, with 11% of respondents undecided.
The poll also found that a potential endorsement from Donald Trump would not be enough to eliminate Paxton’s lead. If Trump were to endorse Cornyn, Paxton would still lead 45% to 42%. An endorsement of Paxton would expand his advantage to 55% to 35%.
Pollsters said Paxton is drawing support from voters who previously backed U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt in the first round of voting. Among those voters, 45% now support Paxton, 32% support Cornyn, and 24% remain undecided.
The poll shows Paxton leading among men, non-college-educated voters, Latino voters, and voters under 65. Cornyn leads slightly among voters aged 65 and older and among college-educated voters.
The survey also found that 24% of Cornyn supporters said they would consider voting for Democratic candidate James Talarico if Paxton becomes the Republican nominee in the November general election. By comparison, 10% of Paxton supporters said they would consider backing Talarico if Cornyn wins the nomination.
Despite concerns cited by some voters about Paxton’s past controversies and personal matters, 43% of respondents said they believe he is more likely than Cornyn to defeat Talarico in the general election, compared to 38% who favored Cornyn on electability.