Wright is running to replace her late husband, GOP Rep. Ron Wright, who died of complications from Covid-19 earlier this year.
Susan Wright’s campaign has released an internal poll showing her ahead in next week’s special election in Texas’ 6th District, leading her opponent, fellow Republican Jake Ellzey, 44 percent to 34 percent, with 12 percent of voters undecided.
Wright is running to replace her late husband, GOP Rep. Ron Wright, who died of complications from Covid-19 earlier this year. She received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump before the May 1 special primary and has been at the top of the scant available polling since then, as Trump has publicly reaffirmed his choice.
Special elections can be tricky to model because of uncertainty about exactly who will vote, and a Republican-versus-Republican runoff adds another dimension to the question. Wright’s internal poll showed that among the voters who said they were most enthusiastic, Wright led by a wider margin of 21 points.
However, her lead is slightly smaller than it was in another Wright internal poll from June. That survey from her campaign showed Wright leading by 15 points.
The new poll also shows Wright with leads among voters with favorable impressions of former Gov. Rick Perry and Rep. Dan Crenshaw, two of Ellzey’s most prominent endorsements. Ellzey has more support among self-identified Democrats, though they are expected to turn out in lower numbers for a race featuring two Republicans. Hardcore Trump supporters, meanwhile, form a key piece of Wright’s base. The race could be a test of the enduring power of Trump’s endorsement in local races since he left the White House.
The survey from Wright’s campaign, conducted by American Viewpoint from July 19-21, included 400 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
