Poll: Immigration, border security are Texas’ top issues

In the minds of Texas voters — and conservative voters in particular — immigration and border security remain the top issues facing the state, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.

The survey was completed just before early voting began, and just as a northbound caravan of asylum-seekers from Central America marched into the national political conversation.

Conservative voters are driving those numbers: 61 percent of Republicans put one of those topics at the top of their lists; among Democrats, only 11 percent did so. The top two items for Democrats were political corruption/leadership (17 percent) and health care (15 percent).

The most important problems facing the country? Overall, Texas voters picked political corruption/leadership as the top item, followed by immigration and health care. That first one was the top pick of 29 percent of Democratic respondents, followed by health care. But the top picks of Republicans for most important national problems matched their picks for state problems: immigration (20 percent) and border security (15 percent).

This story has been edited for length. Read the results of the UT/TT poll when it comes to health care, abortion and tax cuts here. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.