2008 Texas Lyceum Statewide Poll Results - June 27th Press Release on State Issues and Elections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Margaret Justus June 27, 2008 281-250-8253 TEXAS LYCEUM POLL: DAY THREE Hutchison Favored Among Texans for Governor Gas prices and immigration identified as most important issues for state

(AUSTIN) The Texas Lyceum, the statewide, non-profit leadership group, released more results from its second annual public opinion poll.

Respondents were asked to think about an election that is still two years away – the 2010 Texas Gubernatorial contest. While she has not announced if she will run for Texas Governor in 2010, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison leads a field of possible Republican opponents and potential Democrats.

Hutchison has more support right now than any other Republicans, but nobody earned a majority. 35% said they are likely to support Hutchison in a Republican contest, and 22% said they're likely to support Governor Rick Perry in 2010. Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst was next, at 4%, and state Senator Florence Shapiro and Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams each got 2%. One in five said they don't have a favorite, and 16% said they were not likely to support anyone on that list. A subgroup of Republican voters was just as emphatic: Hutchison, 50%; Perry, 23%; Dewhurst, 7%; Williams, 2%; and Shapiro, 2%.

Among Democrats, former U.S. Representative Chris Bell was the most popular with 13%, followed by Houston Mayor Bill White (10%), former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk (8%), former Comptroller John Sharp (7%), and former comptroller candidate Paul Hobby (2%). More than four in ten (42%) said they don't know who they'll support, and 17% said nobody on this list would be their favorite. Among Democratic voters, the numbers were: Bell, 17%; Kirk, 12%; White, 10%; Sharp, 7%; and Hobby, 2%.

In head-to-head match-ups between Republicans and Democrats, both Perry and Hutchison would defeat White in an election held today. In the first matchup, Perry holds a 32% to 29% edge over White, with 39% undecided. In a Hutchison-White match-up, the Republican Senator leads 34% to 25%, with 41% undecided.

Poll respondents were also asked to identify the most important issue facing Texas today. Gas and oil prices topped the list, mentioned by 21%, followed by immigration, 20%; the economy, 17%; education, 12%; and leadership, politics and gridlock, 7%. The issue list a year ago started with immigration, 22%; education, 21%; prices, inflation, gas prices, and cost of living, 7%; health care, 4%; and crime, drugs, and violence, 4%. The economy registered as most important only among 2% of those polled in 2007.

The survey of 1,000 Texans, selected randomly and interviewed via telephone, was taken June 12-20, 2008. The objective of the Texas Lyceum Poll is to annually produce a non-partisan, high quality, scientific survey that is designed to provide specific data points on issues of interest, as well as a time series of key demographics, attitudes, and opinions.

Results of the 2008 Texas Lyceum Poll are available at www.texaslyceum.org. The complete data set will be posted in the fall to coincide with the group’s annual public conference, to be held this year on October 3rd in Houston.