Who is running for statewide seats in the Texas primary? New poll reveals leaders

HOUSTON - A poll released Wednesday shows where Texas voters are leaning in regard to statewide seats in the upcoming March 3 primary. 

The poll of likely voters was conducted at the end of January by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston. The first report from the UH poll, released Monday, showed the numbers for the Senate race.

Republican attorney general race

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy is leading the race by 10 percent, the UH poll says, with 33 percent of likely Republican voters favoring him over state Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston), who follows with 23 percent. A quarter of likely voters are unsure of who they support, with the rest supporting state Sen. Joan Huffman and Aaron Reitz, a former assistant AG for the U.S. DOJ's Office of Legal Policy. 

According to the poll, 72 percent of likely Republican primary voters know enough about Roy to have an opinion of him, with the comparable proportions for the other candidates being 56 percent for Middleton, 41 percent for Huffman and 34 percent for Reitz.

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Republican comptroller race

Former state Sen. Don Huffines leads the probable runner-up by 12 percent, the poll says. Huffines leads with 33 percent, with Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick following with 21 percent. Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock sits at 13 percent and CPA Michael Berlanga trails at 4 percent. More than a quarter of likely GOP voters, 29 percent, are unsure who they will back. 

According to the poll, 63 percent of likely Republican primary voters know enough about Huffines to have an opinion of him, with the comparable proportions for the other candidates being 57 percent for Craddick, 42 percent for Hancock and 34 percent for Berlanga.

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Republican agriculture commissioner race

Incumbent Ag Commissioner Sid Miller leads the race in defense of his seat with nearly half the potential votes, 48 percent, while Texas honey farmer Nate Sheets trails at 18 percent. More than a third of voters, 34 percent, are unsure of who they will support. 

According to the poll, 62 percent of likely Republican primary voters know enough about Miller to have an opinion of him, with the comparable proportion for Sheets being 36 percent.

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Republican railroad commissioner race

Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, Jim Wright, is barely in the lead to replace Craddick, with 21 percent of likely voters leaning his way. Texas oilman James "Jim" Matlock is hot on his heels with 20 percent, the poll found, while engineer Katherine Culbert follows with 8 percent, Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French at 6 percent and oilman Hawk Dunlap at 4 percent. 

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Democratic governor race

Of the eight Democratic hopefuls attempting to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott in November, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa carries most of the decided likely voters' support with 37 percent, the poll found. Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell follows with 7 percent, retired firefighter Bobby Cole with 6 percent, Patricia Abrego with 5 percent, Angela Villescaz with 4 percent, Carlton Hart with 4 percent, Jose Navarro Balbuena with three percent and Zach Vance with 2 percent. According to the poll, 32 percent are still undecuded. 

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Democratic attorney general race

State Sen. Nathan Johnson leads likely voters with 25 percent, the poll found. Attorney Joe Jaworski follows with 22 percent, with Army veteran Anthony "Tony" Box trailing at 13 percent. The poll found that 40 percent of likely voters are unsure who they will support. 

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Who's leading the general election?

Dig deeper:

Once the primary race decides the sides of the statewide tickets, the Democratic and Republican candidates will face off on Nov. 3 in the general election. 

According to the poll, Abbott leads the governor race with 49 percent, with Hinojosa not too far behind with 42 percent. Libertarian Pat Dixon has three percent of the likely voters' support. The poll found that 5 percent are undecided. 

In the race for lieutenant governor, Republican Dan Patrick, the incumbent, leads with 46 percent of likely votes, the poll found. Democrat Vicki Goodwin follows with 41 percent. Libertarian Anthony Christo has 4 percent, and 9 percent are unsure. 

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