The Brief: Border, Immigration Top Texans’ Concerns

@CorridorNews

 

By John Reynolds

 

The Big Conversation

Border security and immigration top the list of Texas voters’ concerns about the state, according to the most recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune internet poll. Those two issues were listed as a top concern by two of five voters. 

While it would come as no surprise that Tea Party voters put more of an emphasis on these twin issues than Republicans overall, the poll also points to something interesting among Hispanics. While that group doesn’t see border security as importantly as the state as a whole, immigration is the top priority. 

“When you frame this as law and order on the border, you do not lose Hispanic voters — if you are careful,” said Jim Henson, co-director of the poll and director of the Texas Politics Project at UT-Austin, pointing in particular to the tacks taken by Abbott and Perry during the last few months. “We have seen a lot more of candidates who are careful on those issues than of those who are not.” 

Here are some other takeaways from the poll’s measure of the voters’ pulse: 

•    Texans are more bullish on the future of the state than the country as a whole. A total of 48 percent felt the state is on the right track, while 35 percent thought the state is on the wrong track. Contrast that to the 25 percent who thought the country is on the right track, while 65 percent thought it is on the wrong track. 

•    Texans see the economy as the biggest problem facing the nation, with 14 percent calling it a top concern. Eleven percent, meanwhile, named political corruption their top concern, and 9 percent cited national security. 

•    The constitutional amendment that would create a new source of funding for roads projects appears to be cruising to easy approval. Sixty-eight percent were for the amendment, while 15 percent were against. 

“If the opposition had been at 30 percent, it would still be in good shape, but this is a blowout,” said Daron Shaw, co-director of the poll.  

Disclosure: UT-Austin is a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.  

John Reynolds is Newsletter Editor for the Texas Tribune where this story was originally published. It is reprinted here through a news partnership between the Texas Tribune and the San Marcos Corridor News.