Public Policy Polling survey sees dangers for Perry if Cruz wins
An independent poll released Sunday night shows insurgent GOP U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz up ten points over rival Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and the poll shows one of Dewhurst's biggest problem is his ties to Gov. Rick Perry, 1200 WOAI news reports.
The Public Policy Polling survey shows indications of a 'deep repudiation' of Perry. Only 16% of Republicans say they are more likely to vote for a candidate endorsed by Perry, while 35% consider it a negative.
"That's indicative of Perry's diminished political standing in Texas after his failed Presidential bid," the polling company said.
Perry is set to campaign with Dewhurst in San Antonio today.
The pool shows Cruz with a 52-42 percent lead over Dewhurst going into tomorrow's primary, that is substantially stronger than the 49-44 percent lead Cruz enjoyed just two weeks ago, an indication that late deciders are breaking for Cruz.
Cruz, not surprisingly, gets the lion's share of the Tea Party vote, with Tea Party members breaking for Cruz by a 75-22 point margin, more than making up for the 55-39 percent lead Dewhurst has among Republicans who say they are 'not' sympathetic to the Tea Party.
PPP also found a significant 'generational divide' in the Republican ranks. Dewhurst, 66, leads with voters over 65m, 56% to 39%, but Cruz, 41, holds a huge lead among younger voters.
But PPP sees serious trouble ahead for Perry if Dewhurst loses.
"If Cruz really does end up winning big on Tuesday, it raises questions about whether he would be able to survive a strong Republican primary challenge in 2014," PPP said. "In April, we found him leading Attorney General Greg Abbott 50-34 in a hypothetical GOP contest, weak numbers for someone who has been governor for over a decade."
