Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bushs family roots can help him out in Texas if he runs for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
A poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP), which has ties to prominent Democrats, shows Bush doing well in Texas, a state where his brother served as governor for six years before winning the White House in 2000 and where his father started his political career.
The poll, released Wednesday, shows a favorite son of the Lone Star State -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz ,who is a favorite of the tea party movement -- leading the pack of Republican presidential hopefuls in Texas with 27 percent. But Bush places second with 15 percent. Another Republican with family connections to Texas -- U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the son of longtime Texas Congressman Ron Paul -- ties with Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey for third with 11 percent.
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin takes fifth with 9 percent followed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry with 7 percent. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida takes 6 percent while former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania gets 4 percent. Gov. Bobby Jindal of neighboring Louisiana lags behind with 3 percent.
Texas Republicans are divided on whether Cruz should run for the presidency. The PPP poll finds 42 percent of Texas Republicans think Cruz should aim for the White House while 39 percent say he should not.
While the poll has mixed news for Cruz, it also offers a harsh dose of reality for Perrys presidential ambitions. Perry is upside down in the poll with 50 percent of Texas voters disapproving of his performance in Austin and 45 percent approving of it, but he still leads potential Democratic challengers in 2014. But the poll finds a strong majority of Texas Republicans -- 69 percent -- do not think Perry should make a second presidential bid after his gaffe-ridden attempt for the White House in the last election. Only 18 percent of Texas Republicans think Perry should run for the Republican presidential nomination again in 2016. Having left the door open to a second presidential campaign, Perry is expected to make a major announcement on Monday, though most Texas pundits expect it to be on whether or not he will seek another term in 2014.
Democrats are increasingly optimistic that Texas, the second largest state in the nation, will be turning blue in the future and the poll shows at least one Democratic candidate could be competitive in the Lone Star State under the right circumstances. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton beats out Perry in the poll, 48 percent to 44 percent. Cruz and Bush both have slight leads against Clinton with the Texas senator beating her 49 percent to 44 percent and the former Florida governor winning 46 percent to 43 percent. Clinton does worse against Christie. The New Jersey governor routs her in the poll 47 percent to 38 percent.
The poll finds Clinton is more popular in the state than her former boss and rival for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. President Barack Obama is upside down in Texas with 55 percent of those surveyed disapproving of him while 41 percent approve of him.
The poll of 500 registered Texas voters was taken from June 28-July 1 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percent. The poll of 318 Republican primary voters was taken during the same period and had a margin of error of +/- 5.5 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at 904-521-3722
