Can Joe Biden Win Texas? What New Polls Show About The Democrat's Chances Of Beating Trump

Texas has long been a safe Republican state in presidential elections but recent polls indicate that there could be a tight race between President Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden for its 38 electoral college votes.

A Public Policy Polling survey conducted in late April shows Biden leading Trump, 47% to 46%. A poll from the Dallas Morning News, conducted from April 18 to April 27, shows Trump and Biden tied, with both at 43%.

A Democrat has not won a statewide race in Texas since 1994 and no Democratic presidential candidate has captured the state since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

“Whether Texas becomes a battleground in November is up to Joe Biden,” Mark Owens, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Tyler, told the Dallas Morning News. “Does he want to put resources in the state?”

Trump will be relying on support from his conservative base, while Biden is expected to appeal to moderate voters who helped him win Texas in the Democratic primaries against progressive Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Democrats have come close to winning major Texas races in recent years. Former Texas Democratic congressman Robert "Beto" O’Rourke came within 2% against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in a 2018 senate race. In 2016, Hillary Clinton outperformed Barack Obama's showing in 2012, leading some Democrats to believe that Texas is close to becoming a swing state.

The presidential election is scheduled to take place on November 3.