Trump holds single-digit leads over Democratic rivals in Texas: poll

President Trump holds single-digit leads over his top 2020 Democratic rivals in Texas as the president’s reelection campaign seeks to keep the rapidly diversifying state in the GOP’s column next year.

Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are running neck-and-neck in the Lone Star State, with Trump narrowly leading by a 48-47 margin in a new CNN poll released Wednesday.

He has more sizable leads against Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), 51-44, and against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D), 50-43.

However, the single-digit leads could be cause for concern for the Trump campaign in the reliably red state. Trump won Texas by 9 points in 2016 over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, the worst showing there for a Republican presidential candidate in 20 years, and Democrats are eager to try to flip the state’s electoral votes next year.

The Democratic base was electrified last year with the Senate bid of former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D), who broke midterm fundraising records and came within 3 points of unseating Sen. Ted Cruz (R). Democrats are hoping to piggyback off that momentum as well as an influx of new residents from more liberal states to make Texas and its 38 electoral votes competitive next year. 

To boost the party’s chances of winning the state in 2020, the Texas Democratic Party in September unveiled its “path to victory” plan that is centered around registering 2.6 million more Texans to vote to help in the White House race as well as down ballot contests.

“Change is coming to Texas — a new wave of activists and progressive candidates demand it. They’re fired up about affordable healthcare, ending gun violence, reversing climate change, and protecting our diverse communities,” Texas Democratic Party deputy executive Cliff Walker said in a statement at the time. 

CNN’s Texas poll surveyed 1,205 adults from Dec. 4 to 8 and has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.