Fact Check: "Polls show Democrats fare better against impeached AG Ken Paxton than John Cornyn."
What We Know
Recent polling data indicates that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, despite his controversies, leads incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary. A poll conducted by Texas Southern University's Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center reveals that Paxton holds a 9 percentage point lead over Cornyn in a two-person race and a 7 point lead if U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt enters the primary (Houston Public Media) 5. However, when matched against potential Democratic candidates, Paxton's lead diminishes significantly. He is only 3 points ahead of Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro and 2 points ahead of former Congressman Colin Allred (Houston Public Media) 5.
In contrast, both Cornyn and Hunt demonstrate stronger leads against these Democratic challengers, suggesting that Paxton may be a weaker candidate in the general election compared to Cornyn (Texas Politics Project) 1.
Analysis
The claim that "Democrats fare better against impeached AG Ken Paxton than John Cornyn" is supported by the polling data. The key findings from the Texas Southern University poll indicate that while Paxton is favored in the Republican primary, his vulnerability against Democratic candidates is notable. Specifically, Paxton's 3-point and 2-point leads against Castro and Allred, respectively, indicate that these Democrats are within striking distance of winning (Houston Public Media) [5](source-5].
Conversely, Cornyn's polling numbers against the same Democratic candidates show him leading by larger margins, which suggests that he would be a more formidable opponent for Democrats in the general election (Texas Politics Project) 1. This disparity in performance against Democratic challengers supports the claim that Democrats would have a better chance against Paxton than against Cornyn.
The reliability of the sources is strong, as they originate from reputable polling organizations and media outlets. The Texas Politics Project is known for its non-partisan polling efforts, and the data provided by Houston Public Media is based on a recent and credible survey (Houston Public Media) 5.
Conclusion
Verdict: True
The evidence clearly supports the claim that Democrats fare better against impeached AG Ken Paxton than against John Cornyn. Polling data indicates that while Paxton leads in the Republican primary, he is significantly more vulnerable to Democratic challengers compared to Cornyn, who maintains stronger leads against the same candidates.
Sources
- Comparing Views of John Cornyn and Ken Paxton in Texas ...
- trail in opinion polls | WordReference Forums
- Cornyn trounced by Paxton in another poll - Live Updates
- I'm off next week vs I'll be off next week | WordReference Forums
- Ken Paxton leads John Cornyn by 9 percentage points in ...
- ns/nc | WordReference Forums
- Cornyn vs. Paxton: GOP primary brawl could open a door ...
- 80 percent or 80 percents? - WordReference Forums