HOUSTON — Democratic candidates poll favorably in several countywide races in Harris County with early voting set to begin on Monday and the election less than three weeks away.
The Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston released the results of an online survey Friday morning, shedding light on voter preferences and opinions in Harris County ahead of the November election.
The survey, conducted between Sept. 26 and Oct. 10, reached 1,329 likely Texas voters, including a sample of 491 Harris County voters, offering insights into key local races and statewide contests.
It is important to note that this is just for Harris County which has traditionally favored Democrats while the rest of the state votes Republican.
Harris County Sheriff's race
In the race for Harris County Sheriff, Democratic incumbent Ed Gonzalez holds a substantial lead over Republican challenger Mike Knox, polling at 53% compared to Knox’s 37%, with 10% undecided.
Harris County District Attorney's race
Similarly, Democrat Sean Teare leads Republican Dan Simons in the Harris County District Attorney race, with a 14-point margin (52% to 38%), and 10% of voters undecided.
The winner of this race would take over for current district attorney, Kim Ogg, who lost in the Democratic primary to Teare.
Other Harris County races
Democratic candidates also lead in other key countywide elections.
Annette Ramirez leads Steve Radack in the Tax Assessor-Collector race by 12 percentage points, 50% to 38%, while County Attorney Christian Menefee is ahead of Republican Jacqueline Lucci Smith by 11 points, 48% to 37%.
Presidential race in Harris County
The survey also delves into broader political races, showing Democrat Kamala Harris with a 13-point lead over Donald Trump, 54% to 41%, in Harris County for the 2024 presidential election.
U.S. Senate race in Harris County
In the U.S. Senate race, Democratic challenger Colin Allred holds a 13-point advantage over incumbent Republican Ted Cruz, 52% to 39%.
What are the key issues for Harris County voters?
Key issues for Harris County voters include crime, rising property taxes, electricity service reliability, and housing affordability. Crime and property taxes were both cited as top concerns by 16% of respondents, while 12% expressed concern about electricity service, and 11% about housing costs.
When asked to rank the top three issues affecting Harris County, voters highlighted electricity service reliability, 36%, rising property taxes, 33%, housing affordability, 32%, and flooding, 30%. Other concerns included the condition of roads and streets, 26%, crime, 23%, public school quality, 23%, and traffic congestion, 21%.
You can read the full results of the online survey which include the favorable and unfavorable evaluations of the Harris County candidates as well as the demographics.
