There's approximately a year left before the Gubernatorial election in Texas, and who wins is anyone's guess at this point.

The Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation recently released a new poll that shows Governor Abbott and Beto O'Rourke with remarkably close numbers, even though Beto has not formally announced a plan to run.

The 2022 Texas gubernatorial election will take place on November 8, 2022, to elect the next governor of Texas.

Head to Head

Currently, the poll reports Republican Gov. Abbott leading O’Rourke 44% to 43%. 12% of those surveyed are still unsure who they are voting for, while the remaining 3% are supporting minor party candidates.

Elections

Gov. Abbott is seeking to keep his office for a third term in the 2022 November election, while this will be Beto's first time running for Governor of Texas.

However, as most are aware, Beto is no stranger to politics.

Beto is a former Congressman from El Paso, and was narrowly defeated by a margin of less than 3% by Ted Cruz during the 2018 Texas Senate Race. Beto even threw his hat into the ring when it came to the 2020 Presidential election, but announced the end of his campaign for president on November 1, 2019.

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Race, Religion & Numbers

Data indicates more white Texans are showing up for to vote for Abbott (58%) versus O’Rourke (30%).  However, more than seven times as many Black Texans intend to vote for O’Rourke (76%) rather than Abbott (10%). Beto again takes the lead with Hispanic support at 49% and 31% for Abbott.

When it comes to religion, the numbers are again divided. Hispanics who are evangelical Protestants are more likely to vote for Abbott (42%) than O’Rourke (37%), while Catholic Hispanics and non-religious Hispanics overwhelmingly favor O’Rourke (56% and 46%) over Abbott (29% and 28%).

For the survey, 1,402 respondents were interviewed online between October 14 and 27, with a margin of error of +/- 2.6%.

Other Contenders To Consider

Of course, Abbott and Beto aren't the only candidates vying for the governor's mansion.

Former Texas GOP Chair Allen West announced his intention to run against Abbott earlier this year. Former State Senator Don Huffines did the same, along with conservative comedian and streaming host Chad Prather.

On the Democratic side, pastor Michael Cooper has declared he's running, as has Houston-area education specialist Deirdre Gilbert.  There are rumors that one of the Castro brothers, Joaquin or Julian, may run as well.

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