Texas Senate Primary: Cruz 49, Dewhurst 40

Ted Cruz is leading David Dewhurst in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate in Texas, according to a new internal poll released by the Cruz campaign. Forty-nine percent of respondents said they support Cruz, with 40 percent supporting Dewhurst.

Roll Call reports:

The poll surveyed 750 likely Republican runoff voters June 24-26 with a 3.6-point margin of error. Cruz had 96 percent name identification among those voters and Dewhurst had 98 percent name identification.

Sixty percent of those surveyed viewed Cruz favorably, with 21 percent saying they had an unfavorable opinion of him. Dewhurst had an almost identical favorability rating, 59 percent, while 30 percent viewed him unfavorably.

Cruz and Dewhurst are running to replace retiring Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison, and the seat is considered a safe hold for the GOP. Cruz, the former state solicitor general, came in second to Dewhurst, the lieutenant governor, in the May primary, forcing Dewhurst to a runoff election on July 31. Both candidates have charged that the other is not conservative enough.