Prior Republican wins include Mitt Romney’s victory over President Barack Obama in Texas by 1,261,719 votes in 2012 and John McCain’s win over Obama in 2008 by 950,695 votes.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz also experienced a strong showing, defeating Democratic Congressman Colin Allred by 943,352 votes. Cruz’s total of 5,919,375 votes (53%) surpassed Allred’s 4,976,023 votes (45%), a marked improvement from his close 2018 race.
Polls Fall Short
Polls leading up to the election indicated Trump would win Texas but underestimated his actual lead. The Real Clear Politics average showed Trump ahead by nine percentage points, but he ultimately won by 14.
Similarly, Cruz was expected to win by 4.4 percentage points and outperformed expectations, winning by eight points.
Key Issues for Texas Voters
Texas voters cited the economy and border security as their top concerns, aligning with Republican messaging. While abortion and reproductive rights remain important, they ranked lower on Texas voters’ priority lists.
