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Joshua Blank is the manager of polling and research at the Texas Politics Project. Born in New York, New York, he has a bachelor's degree in political science from Boston University and a master's and doctorate in government, from the University of Texas at Austin.
Two University of Texas/Texas Tribune pollsters say top state officials edging into slightly tighter gun control laws are taking their cues from the changing electoral climate — not from changing attitudes among voters. Full Story
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As Rick Perry hedges that he could yet again seek a presidential nomination, and the issue of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants continues to arise in GOP primary races, polling results help illustrate the challenges the issue poses for candidates. Full Story
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David Dewhurst’s predicament — abandoned first by most Republican primary voters and then by one of the bellwethers of the Texas big business establishment — reveals how the Texas GOP has changed since he first became lieutenant governor in 2003. Full Story
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The same voters who responded well to George W. Bush's education policies oppose one of its main components: the standardized tests introduced to make schools more accountable. Full Story
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Education policy is usually a winner for Democratic candidates, but in Texas, things are more nuanced, especially when it comes to education spending. This year's race for governor race is a great example. Full Story
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To the extent that Wednesday's Fort Hood shooting prompts a renewed discussion of guns in Texas, discussion will almost certainly be dominated by talk of increasing access to guns, not curtailing it. Full Story
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When we asked Texans whether they considered themselves Texans first and Americans second, most said no. But the grandkids were more likely than their grandparents to say yes. Full Story
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Only 28 percent of Texans say they are opposed to legalization of marijuana for any reason. Most would OK it for medicinal use, and nearly half would approve it for recreational use. But the state's most conservative voters are not likely to go along. Full Story
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It might be tempting to romanticize the Tea Party as something distinct from the Republican Party, but poll data suggests that Tea Party voters would support using government power to enact unquestionably conservative policies. Full Story
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In several races, Tuesday's election results didn't match the findings of the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll two weeks earlier. What happened? Full Story
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