Joshua Blank, PhD

Republicans appear poised to again sweep this year's statewide elections. But dig deeper into the data and you'll find faint signs of long-term promise for Texas Democrats, even if their standard-bearer loses in November. 

Given the high-level discourse that pervades The Texas Tribune Festival, it may seem uncouth to scrutinize the event in the context of polling. But it's a useful way to analyze what was happening onstage. 

By looking at the emotional dynamics underlying the Abbott and Davis campaigns' advertisements, one can get a clearer sense of how each really views the 2014 Texas Governor's race.

Recent polls have painted two divergent pictures of the Greg Abbott-Wendy Davis race. Here's a rundown of what that means and what to pay attention to as November draws near. 

Greg Abbott has always been more comfortable making this campaign about Wendy Davis than about the issues that Davis wants to discuss. The timing of Davis’ book release may have inadvertently helped him do just that.

In the June 2014 University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, we asked registered voters under what circumstances a woman should be able to obtain an abortion.

Rick Perry’s governorship has transcended the spirit of the Texas Constitution. The indictment begs for a discussion of whether his version of the governorship is the one Texans want or need. 

Mark P. Jones of Rice University ranks the ideological composition of registered voters in Texas' 20 most populous counties using University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling Data.

The loud and public back-and-forth among Texas Republicans this year has given them something Democrats are sorely lacking: an honest conversation about their party's future.

The problems facing the Republican Party on issues like gay marriage aren't unique to Texas, but they're particularly pronounced here. Polling data and the party's long run of success in Texas explain why.