UT Tyler Professors Publish Book on State’s Political Shifts

Office of Marketing and Communications

August 23, 2022

Media Contact: Beverley Golden
Senior Director of Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.566.7303

Three members of The University of Texas at Tyler political science faculty co-authored a book about factors that are reshaping voter preferences and changing the political landscape across Texas.

“Battle for the Heart of Texas: Political Change in the Electorate’’ by Dr. Mark Owens, Dr. Ken Wink and Dr. Kenneth Bryant Jr. examines current political trends based on polling, surveys and focus groups conducted by the UT Tyler Center for Opinion Research in conjunction with The Dallas Morning News. The book was published this month by The University of Oklahoma Press.

“While Texas is truly different from the rest of the nation, the state finds itself at the forefront of national discussion about public policy,’’ said Owens, director of the Center for Opinion Research. “‘Battle for the Heart of Texas’ presents a deeply researched look at who Texas voters are, what they want and what it might mean for the future of the Republican and Democratic parties, the state and the nation.’’

The authors discuss factors altering the state’s political landscape, including migration, immigration and a maturing populace, and reveal voters’ nuanced opinions about the 2020 primaries, political responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, gun control and other topics. Their analyses pinpoint the influence of race, media exposure, ideological diversity within political parties and geographic variation across the state, detailing how Texas politics has changed over time.

Owens is an associate professor of political science with expertise in the development and organization of American political institutions.

Wink is associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of public administration. He researches public opinion and voting behavior in American politics.

Bryant is an associate professor of political science with a research focus on re-examining conventional thought about historically marginalized communities.

With a mission to improve educational and healthcare outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. UT Tyler recently merged with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (now known as UT Tyler Health Science Center). Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center (HSC) and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.