Poll finds Sanders faring best against Trump in Texas

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) fares best against President Trump in a head-to-head match-up in Texas, according to a new poll released Wednesday by Texas Lyceum.

Sanders still got less support than Trump in the poll, but he did win 47 percent compared to Trump’s 50 percent, a result within the poll’s margin of error.

Just behind was former Vice President Joe Biden, who won 46 percent to Trump’s 51 percent. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) won 44 percent in the Texas poll compared to 52 percent for Trump, while former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg won 43 percent compared to Trump’s 51 percent.

The same poll found Biden and Sanders neck and neck among Texas Democrats, with 28 percent preferring Biden and 26 percent preferring Sanders, followed by 13 percent for Warren, 9 percent for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Buttigieg with 6 percent and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) with 4 percent.

Sanders’s strength in the state is largely due to enthusiasm among younger and independent voters, Josh Blank, Texas Lyceum’s research director, told the Austin American-Statesman.

“When we look at the Democratic nominating contest, Sanders was far and away the choice of voters under 30 — 57% selected Sanders,” he said. “That’s also confirmed in the head-to-head matchups with President Trump. So, while the other three Democrats tested — Biden, Warren and Buttigieg — split that vote about 60-40 in their favor, Sanders beats Trump 70 to 30 among voters 18 to 29 years old.”

Independent voters are also a strength for Sanders in Texas, Blank said. He was the only one of the four candidates to beat Trump among independents. 

“While all three Democrats, aside from Sanders, lost independents to Trump in this poll, basically 60 to 30 or so with the rest of them unsure, Sanders is actually ahead of Trump with independents, 44 to 41,” he added.

Pollsters surveyed 1,000 adult citizens in Texas, including 401 Democratic primary voters and 520 likely general election voters, from Jan. 10 to 19. The poll has a 4.89-point margin of error for the primary voters and a 4.3-point margin of error for likely general election voters.