Poll finds Cornyn, Paxton in dead heat in Texas’ Senate GOP primary

AUSTIN, Texas — A new poll of Texas’ Senate GOP primary shows Sen. John Cornyn leading Attorney General Ken Paxton by 1 percentage point, breaking a spell of public polling that had found the incumbent trailing by wide margins.

In a sample of nearly 500 registered Texans planning to vote in the Republican primary, Cornyn garnered 30% of the vote to Paxton’s 29% — well within the poll’s 4.4% margin of error. Much of the Republican electorate is up for grabs, with 37% saying they were undecided.

If neither candidate wins 50% plus one vote in the March primary, the top two candidates would advance to a May runoff.

The poll was conducted by Emerson College between Monday and Tuesday — the first public survey of the bitter primary since Cornyn allies began deploying millions in advertising.