Vice President, Communications
Merrill helps Texans better understand the research, data and policy choices shaping the state's future. Before joining Texas 2036, she spent more than three decades advising Fortune 500 companies, trade associations and nonprofits across Texas on strategic communications and public affairs.
One of the clearest findings from our 10th Texas Voter Poll is that Texans share broad agreement on many of the challenges facing the state. Looking at the results by partisanship also shows where different groups place greater emphasis. For Republican voters, the results point to a mix of longstanding priorities and broad interest in…
Political labels can make elections sound simpler than they actually are. Republicans vote Republican. Democrats vote Democratic. Independents sit somewhere in between. But Texas voters do not always fit neatly into those categories. In our 10th Texas Voter Poll, Texas 2036 identified a group we call Unaffiliated and Undecided Voters. They make up 16.7% of…
Texans have long carried a healthy dose of confidence in their state. Our 10th Texas Voter Poll suggests that confidence is still there. But it increasingly exists alongside uncertainty about what comes next. When asked whether Texas or the rest of the United States will have the stronger economy over the next four years, 57%…
Texas’ residential electricity prices have increased by more than 50% in the past 15 years, and voters have noticed. In Texas 2036’s 10th annual Texas Voter Poll, 82% said they’re more likely to back a candidate who prioritizes lowering their electricity bill. But when forced to name the most important electricity issue, voters didn’t choose…
This is a preview of our Texas 2036 newsletter discussing Texans’ confidence in the state’s economic future and a data analysis of workforce trends in the state. To receive this weekly look at our work, sign up here. Texas Is Adding Jobs, But Not Everywhere Texas has an established reputation as a job dynamo. But…