Abbott Widens Polling Lead as Early Voting Begins

A brand new poll has Gov. Greg Abbott leading the race for governor by his largest polling margin since June as voters are set to begin early voting on Monday.

According to a new poll from YouGov, Abbott is leading former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke by 11 points, 54-43 percent. Additionally, elections forecaster 538 is now giving Abbott his best forecast since the summer, predicting a 97-in-100 chance of Abbott winning re-election this year.

If the current 538 model holds for Abbott, he will win around 55 percent of the vote, giving him a vote share on par with his 2018 showing against former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez.

Abbott is currently locked in a heated re-election battle against O’Rourke in hopes of claiming his third term in office. Additionally, Libertarian Mark Tippetts, Green Delilah Barrios, and write-ins Mark V. Goloby and Jacqueline Abernathy are also running for the governorship.

Early voting in the race begins on Monday, October 24.