Wendy Davis trails Rick Perry in potential Texas match-up

Though her name recognition has doubled since her filibuster, Davis is still trailing Perry in a new poll

Published July 2, 2013 5:11PM (EDT)

State Sen. Wendy Davis has gained a national profile since her filibuster of Texas's anti-abortion law, but she still faces a tough battle if she decides to challenge Gov. Rick Perry in 2014.

According to a new poll from the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling, Davis currently trails Perry in a hypothetical match-up by a margin of 53-39 percent.

From PPP:

39% have a favorable opinion of Davis and only 29% an unfavorable one. That is better than Perry’s 45-50 approval-disapproval margin or the 32-26 favorability of the other possible GOP gubernatorial candidate, Attorney General Greg Abbott. Voters narrowly approve of her use of the filibuster, with 45% supporting and 40% opposing it. They also dislike SB5, with 20% supporting and 28% opposing it.

But Perry’s standing with the plurality Republican voters has improved a net 23 points since the last poll, bringing his overall approvals up a net eight points from 41-54. Because of this, Davis actually fared better pre-filibuster at a 47-41 deficit.

But it's not all bad news for Davis: Since her filibuster, Davis's name recognition has doubled, from 34 to 68 percent.


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

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Related Topics ------------------------------------------

2014 Elections Abortion Rick Perry Texas Wendy Davis