Majority of Students Support Talarico in Upcoming U.S. Senate Election
Chart created by Madi Deskovick, Skyline Reporter
By: Madi Deskovick, Skyline Reporter
ALPINE – A majority of Sul Ross State University students polled this week by the Skyline say they plan to vote for Texas Rep. James Talarico in his upcoming U.S. Senate race against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The poll consisted of 22 students, 55% responded that they support Talarico, a democrat. Those results closely track other recent polls showing a slight edge for Talarico against Paxton, who the Texas Legislature tried to impeach last year for misusing the powers of his office to financially benefit a friend and donor.
Students were asked who they plan on voting for, their age as well as gender, current political party affiliation, where they get their news, and whether they use mail-in ballots. Only five of the students polled indicated they use mail-in ballots when voting.
Chart created by Madi Deskovick, Skyline Reporter, showcasing Sul Ross students who use mail-in ballots
The candidate with the most votes was James Talarico, with a majority of voters coming from women. Ken Paxton had an equal number of both male and female voters. The students surveyed were between 18 and 25 years old.
Chart created by Madi Deskovick, Skyline Reporter, showcasing gender of voters
A student who voted for Talarico said she agreed with the candidate on his “sentiment in which he referred to Texas as a ‘nanny’ state,” explaining how the state of Texas “equates harsher prison sentences for people who smoke rather than pedophiles.” Another student voiced support for Talarico, agreeing with his idea to “end tax cuts for the top 1% of wealthy Americans.”
A student who voted for Paxton said, "I agree with his human trafficking and organized crime division.” Another student discussed how they agreed with Paxton’s choice to investigate “whether ranchers were being paid correctly and beef was being priced correctly”.
Nearly all of the students polled also mentioned immigration policy as a common issue. The United States senate elections in Texas are set to take place Nov. 3 of this year.