Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is maintaining the lead over his Democratic challenger Rep. Beto O’Rourke as both candidates make a push in the final days of their campaigns.
At 51 percent, Cruz is ahead of O’Rourke by 6 points, according to a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll of likely voters released Friday. Cruz also maintains a positive favorability rating while O’Rourke does not — at 51 to 44 percent, Cruz has a net favorability of 7 points. O’Rourke’s favorability is 5 points underwater, at 44 to 49 percent.
STAFFORD, TX – APRIL 2: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) shakes hands with supporters during a rally to launch his re-election campaign at the Redneck Country Club on April 2, 2018 in Stafford, Texas. Cruz is defending his bid for a second term as Texas’ junior senator against Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke. (Photo by Erich Schlegel/Getty Images)
However, 51 percent of independent voters preferred O’Rourke with only 39 percent preferring Cruz — independents traditionally lean Republican in Texas. (RELATED: Beto 2020? As O’Rourke’s Senate Chances Fade And War Chest Grows, Speculation Swirls He Could Be Eyeing A Bigger Prize)
“We are in the closing sprint,” Cruz told a crowd in Arlington. “We are seeing an election that is about the direction of Texas and the direction of our country.”
Both Cruz and O’Rourke have been raising massive sums of money, topping $100 million in the race to win Texas, according to the Texas Tribune. O’Rourke spent around $21 million in two-and-a-half weeks, the Tribute reported. Comparatively, Cruz used $9.7 million during the same period.
The UT/TT poll was conducted between Oct. 15 and 21, which was before early voting in Texas began. It was comprised of a sample size of 927 likely voters with a 3.22 point margin of error.
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