Beto O'Rourke is catching up to Ted Cruz
Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke's effort to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas has been under close scrutiny, and a new poll suggests he's gaining ground six days out from the midterms.
A poll from the University of Texas at Tyler released Wednesday shows Cruz ahead of O'Rourke by 3.6 percentage points among likely voters, quite close to the 3.26-point margin of error, The Texas Tribune reports. Cruz has support from 47 percent of likely voters, while O'Rouke has 43.4 percent support. Another 5.7 percent of voters were undecided. Among registered voters, Cruz holds a larger lead of 4.3 percentage points.
This comes days after a Quinnipiac survey showed Cruz with a five-point lead on his Democratic opponent, down from a nine-point lead earlier in the month. The incumbent senator is still the heavy favorite to win next Tuesday, but the race has become far tighter than anyone would have predicted months ago. Not every recent poll has been quite as favorable for O'Rourke, though, as a CBS 11 / Dixie Strategies Texas poll released Tuesday showed Cruz with a much more decisive 10-point lead. FiveThirtyEight projects Cruz has an 80 percent chance of victory.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The University of Texas at Tyler's poll reached 1,033 adults online from Oct. 15 to Oct. 28. The margin of error is 3.26 percentage points among likely voters, and 3.03 percentage points among registered voters.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Man vs Baby: Rowan Atkinson stars in an accidental adoption comedyTalking Point Sequel to Man vs Bee is ‘nauseatingly schmaltzy’
-
Goodbye June: Kate Winslet’s directorial debut feels like a ‘John Lewis Christmas TV ad’Talking Point Helen Mirren stars as the terminally ill English matriarch in this sentimental festive heartwarmer
-
A Christmas Carol (or two)The Week Recommends These are the most delightful retellings of the Dickens classic from around the country
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
$1M ‘Trump Gold Card’ goes live amid travel rule furorSpeed Read The new gold card visa offers an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for $1 million
