Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott's approval rating has sunk to its lowest level since he took office, with the majority of Texans believing the southwestern state is on the wrong track.
New polling conducted in August by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin found that just 41 percent of state residents approve of Abbott's job performance.
The poll also showed that a record high number of Texans believe the state is headed in the wrong direction.
Only 35 percent of respondents said the state was headed in the right direction, but more than half (52 percent) said they believe Texas is on the wrong track.
"This is really an eye-opener for us," Jim Henson, executive director of the Texas Politics Project, told Austin's NBC News affiliate KXAN-TV.
He said Abbott's approval has taken a hit due to crises that have hit the state in recent months.
This article has been updated to reflect that David Portugal's remarks were first reported by Texas Public Radio. »
