Donald Trump And Joe Biden Tied In Texas, Poll Shows

A new Dallas Morning News/University of Texas at Tyler poll released on Sunday shows President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden tied in the Lone Star State’s presidential race.

Both Trump and Biden, the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, are polling at 43 percent. Nine percent of respondents said they were undecided, and only five percent support “other” candidates. Biden’s greatest strength appears to be the support he enjoys among independent voters. According to the poll, 43 percent of independents support Biden and 28 percent back Trump.

Trump’s overall approval rating in Texas is 45 percent, but his numbers are not as impressive when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the survey, 43 percent of Texans approve of the way Trump has handled the federal government’s response to the crisis, and 44 percent disapprove. State and local leaders are trusted more than the commander-in-chief.

Experts say that the poll’s findings suggest Texas, which has been under Republican control for more than 20 years, is evolving into a battleground state. Biden, who convincingly won the Democratic Party’s presidential primary in Texas, might be able to turn it blue.

“Whether Texas becomes a battleground in November is up to Joe Biden. Does he want to put resources in the state?” asked Mark Owens, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Tyler.

Democratic strategist Matt Angle echoed Owens, arguing that Biden has a decent chance of winning Texas. He called on the Democrats to dedicate resources to spreading the former vice president’s message in the state.

“Trump is taking on water in Texas. People are tired of his act, they view him as dangerous and they are starting to see his incompetence and lack of empathy,” he said.

Republican operatives disagree. According to consultant Chris Homan, the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed Biden to maintain a low profile, which is why he is polling so well in Texas. Once voters start paying close attention to the race, he predicted, Trump will emerge as the winner.

“Because of the coronavirus situation, we’re not getting into all the problems that he has,” Homan argued.

The poll appears to mirror a trend seen across the nation, suggesting that the 2020 presidential race will be unbelievably close. For instance, a Hill/HarrisX poll released earlier this week showed Trump and Biden neck-and-neck nationwide. The survey indicates that both candidates enjoy strong support inside their parties, with independent voters evenly split between the two men.

In addition, both Trump and Biden appear to be struggling with women, who are expected to be a “key voting bloc” in the upcoming election.