A new poll shows Gov. Rick Perry and Democratic challenger Bill White are tied in the race for Texas governor.
Public Policy Polling polled the race 4 months ago, in that poll, former Houston Mayor Bill White was trailing behind Perry 48-42. The new poll now shows that White is tied with Perry 43-43.
According to the poll only 36% of voters in the state like the job that Perry is doing while 49% disapprove.
White is better known and like than most challengers, 37% of voters have a favorable opinion of him, 25% unfavorable.
In most states, in this Republican election year, not only is the Republican leading among independents, but he is drawing more crossover support than the Democratic candidate. However, that is not the case with Bill White, as he did in February's poll, by garnering 15% of Texas Republicans to Perry's 10% of Democrats.
Both candidates have seen more of their own party's voters go into the undecided column, bringing their partisan support from the mid-80% range to the mid-70% range, with White still holding more of his own base than Perry does.
In almost every race in the country right now Republican voters are more unified around their candidates than Democrats are and independents are leaning toward the GOP. Texas is running against the national grain on both of those counts- White is winning 15% of Republicans while Perry gets just 10% of Democrats and White also has a 42-36 advantage with independent voters.
Republicans have held the Texas governorship since George W. Bush ousted the late Ann Richards 16 years ago.
Full results here
