Public Policy Polling

Cornyn looking comfortable in his seat

Raleigh, N.C. – 10 years into his time in the US Senate, John Cornyn is still a blank slate to a surprisingly large percentage of Texas voters. They're closely divided on his job performance with 34% of voters approving of him and 36% disapproving, with 30% not having an opinion either way.

Those numbers don't really mean Cornyn is vulnerable. It's harder for a Senator in a big state like Texas to maintain a major statewide profile  than it is in most of the rest of the country. Cornyn's numbers are somewhat similar to what we found for Bill Nelson early in the 2012 election cycle, and he went on to win reelection by double digits anyway.

Nevertheless Democrats could be more competitive than usual if they put up a strong candidate against Cornyn. Bill White comes within 3 points in a hypothetical match up, 45/42. Cornyn leads Julian Castro by 7 points at 48/41, Annise Parker by 11 at 47/36, and Wendy Davis by 11 at 48/37.

Texans support assault weapons ban, mixed on Cornyn

Texas voters don't like Barack Obama. 47% of voters approve of him to 51% who disapprove. 39% of them, including 67% of Republicans, would like to see him impeached from office.

Texas voters do like the NRA. 46% view it favorably to 40% with an unfavorable opinion. 47% of voters support its proposal to put armed police officers in every school in the country, to 39% who oppose it. Even 41% of Democrats support that initiative.

Overall on the issue of guns Texans say they trust the NRA over President Obama by a 47/43 margin.

And despite all of that 49% of Texas voters support an assault weapons ban to just 41% opposed to it. Most Democrats support it, independents favor it by a 53/34 margin, and even among Republicans 23% support it. We've found support for the assault weapons ban everywhere we've polled it, but it's particularly striking to see that voters favor it in a pro-gun, anti-Obama state like Texas.

10 years into his time in the US Senate, John Cornyn is still a blank slate to a surprisingly large percentage of Texas voters. They're closely divided on his job performance with 34% of voters approving of him and 36% disapproving, with 30% not having an opinion either way.

Those numbers don't really mean Cornyn is vulnerable. It's harder for a Senator in a big state like Texas to maintain a major statewide profile  than it is in most of the rest of the country. Cornyn's numbers are somewhat similar to what we found for Bill Nelson early in the 2012 election cycle, and he went on to win reelection by double digits anyway.