Is everything still bigger and better in Texas? This poll says no | Opinion
Texans always believe everything is great in Texas.
If you don’t agree, we’ll usually hurt ya.
Don’t talk bad about Texas, not even about our fire ants or chugholes or brain-frying summers.
Texans have always believed everything is perfect in Texas, with the possible exception of the Dallas Cowboys.
We’re not so sure anymore.
Of all the results in a new online poll of 1,200 registered voters, the most surprising might be that 54% of Texans think the Lone Star State is on the wrong track.
One in four Texans now say the state’s No. 1 problem is either jobs, the economy or prices.
In other words, money.
We’re not as worried about the border anymore, not even with screeching warnings for immigrants to leave and frenzied roundups of detainees without much regard to legal status.
The economy and money combined are Texas’ No. 1 problem to 23% of voters, according to the Texas Politics Project poll of 1,200 voters. Political corruption is next at 18%, and it was ranked No. 1 by Democrats and independents.
Immigration and the border are next at 16%. That’s still the No. 1 issue to Republicans, with jobs and the economy second.
Taxes and big government spending are still the No. 1 issue for 7% of voters. Crime and gun violence are the top concern for 6%.
Then come little stuff like schools, healthcare and clean water.
The statewide and national concern about the economy hasn’t improved since last fall, and that mostly explains the Democratic swing in this month’s elections across the country.
Don’t count on Texas Democrats pulling any upsets next year. Democrats are still about 8 points behind Republicans in Texas. They have to win all the independent voters to close the gap.
And even Democrats aren’t very happy with Democrats these days. Nearly one in three Democrats, led by archliberals, did not have a favorable opinion of the party.
Democrats have an opening because midterm elections always go against the party in the White House, and because independents, even in Texas, have soured on President Donald Trump (24% approval among independents, 60% disapproval).
In their notes at texaspolitics.utexas.edu, project Director Jim Henson and research director Josh Blank of the University of Texas at Austin pointed out one chilling detail for Republicans.
Eight years ago, early in Trump’s first term, voters had a very favorable opinion of the economy. Only 22% of voters said the country was worse off under Trump than under Barack Obama.
Yet Republicans still took a beating in the 2018 elections, with Democratic U.S. Senate challenger Beto O’Rourke losing to Ted Cruz but leading a wave of downballot wins. Democrats flipped 11 seats in the Legislature.
Eight years later, instead of 22% of voters saying the economy is worse off, the rate is 53%.
Yet our leaders will tell us how great everything is in Texas.
This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 9:55 AM.
