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The Texas Senate race is tightening, with Cruz leading Allred by one percentage point

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Texas politicians Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Colin Allred are neck and neck in the race for one of the state's two Senate seats, a poll showed Wednesday.

The Emerson College Polling poll, last updated on Tuesday, shows the gap between the two candidates is just one percentage point. Incumbent Sen. Cruz is in the lead with 48%, while his challenger Rep. Allred has 47%. This is even closer than the September numbers from the same poll, which had Cruz leading by four percentage points at 49% and Allred at 45%.

People also read: Vice President Kamala Harris will join Colin Allred at the campaign rally in Houston on Friday

Here's a breakdown of the poll numbers:

Total support (%) Support from independent voters (%) “Positive” views (%) “Unfavorable” views (%)
Ted Cruz (R) 48 42 49 50
Colin Allred (D) 47 47 46 44
Table by Alexis Simmerman/American-Statesman | Data from Emerson College Polling

Stephen Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, explained how the poll numbers had changed.

Rep. Colin Allred wins name recognition points

In addition to candidate support and perception, the survey also measures how many respondents know the candidates' names. This can pose a hurdle for challengers because voters are generally more familiar with incumbents.

“Allred’s profile has improved since last month; 18% had never heard of him in early September, dropped to 15% at the end of September and 10% this month,” Kimball said.

LIST: Top issues for Texas voters

According to Emerson College Polling, the most important issues for Texas voters are:

  • Immigration (32%)
  • Economy (26%)
  • Access to abortion (11%)
  • Threats to democracy (8%)
  • Healthcare (5%)
  • Education (5%)

Trump leads Harris in Texas, according to an Emerson College poll

Data from Emerson College Polling suggests that support for Vice President Harris in Texas has stagnated in recent weeks. Meanwhile, support for former President Donald Trump has steadily increased.

Support – September 6th (%) Support – September 27th (%) Support – September 6th (%)
Donald Trump (R) 50 51 53
Kamala Harris (D) 46 46 46
Table by Alexis Simmerman/American-Statesman | Data from Emerson College Polling

“Trump's increase in support is being driven by shifts in key groups: Independent voters, who cast six points for Harris in September, now vote for Trump by two points, 49% to 47%,” Kimball said. “Trump’s lead among men increased from 19 to 23 points this month, while women have held a consistent six-point lead over Harris since last month.”

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