Texas Gov. Greg Abbott holds a significant lead over Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in his re-election bid, The Hill reports.
Abbott leads O’Rourke 49-41 among likely voters, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll.
An earlier poll by Quinnipiac conducted in early June showed Abbott leading O’Rourke by five points.
Backlash over Uvalde:
Abbott leads the race even though most Texans have an unfavorable view of his handling of the school shooting in Uvalde and his job performance.
While 79% of Republicans said they support his track record, just 24% of Democrats and 40% of independents agreed.
Overall, just 45% of respondents said his response to the Uvalde shooting was “good.”
Abbott buys $20M in ads:
Abbott's campaign this week announced nearly $20 million in early ad buys ahead of the general election.
O’Rourke has not announced any ad buy plans, instead calling on his supporters “to make sure that we have the resources to fight back.”
Abbott has a massive cash advantage in the race, sitting on nearly $50 million in the bank compared to $6.8 million for the Democrat, according to the last campaign finance report filed in February.
“Abbott and his corporate donors have no choice but to resort to blanketing the airwaves with millions of dollars in false ads as his poll numbers plummet, his job approval tanks, and Texans of both political parties continue to oppose his dangerous extremism,” O’Rourke campaign spokesperson Chris Evans told the Texas Tribune.
