image: Houston residents are now trending toward the Democratic Party. view more
Credit: Houston Area Survey, Rice University
New data from the 2009 Houston Area Survey show that 45 percent of Houstonians today identify themselves as Democrats, while 39 percent report being Republicans, according to Stephen Klineberg, Rice University sociologist and director of the annual survey.
That's almost the opposite of the survey results 20 years ago, when 50 percent of Harris County residents considered themselves Republicans, and 39 percent identified as Democrats. Ten years ago, 43 percent said they were Republicans, and 39 percent said they were Democrats.
Klineberg, who has directed this research since its inception 28 years ago, said that while Harris County has been predominantly Republican over most of the past 20 years, a decisive shift occurred in 2006 and the trends have continued to lean Democratic ever since.
"The discontent with the Bush administration and the continuing demographic transformations have led to a clear change in the political patterns of Harris County," Klineberg said. "I'm sure the trends in attitudes, beliefs, experiences and political ideologies that are being tracked by these surveys will be closely monitored by the two major political parties."
To read the demographic data and results from the social-issue questions posed to participants in this year's survey, go to http://www.media.rice.edu/images/media/2009-04-27-HAS.ppt.
The ability to track attitudes on a variety of subjects over time is what makes the Houston Area Survey so valuable, Klineberg said. The annual survey is designed and directed by Klineberg and his undergraduate sociology class at Rice University. The telephone interviews are carried out by the Center for Public Policy at the University of Houston.
The 2009 survey was conducted between Feb. 3 and Feb. 25 and reached a scientifically representative sample of 706 Harris County residents.
Members of the news media who would like to speak with Klineberg should contact David Ruth at 713-348-6327 or druth@rice.edu.