The Democratic candidate in the 10th District state Senate race, Khristy Wilkinson, is accusing her Republican opponent, incumbent Todd Gardenhire, of using "scare tactics" and "slander" against her in a telephone survey.
Wilkinson said she's had calls from several voters in recent weeks reporting the "push poll," which she said Gardenhire is using "apparently to test a message and decide how to market his campaign."
"The questions show a candidate ready to smear a stay-at-home mom rather than defend votes opposing Insure Tennessee, public funding for education and diversity at our college campuses," Wilkinson said at a Thursday press conference.
In a separate interview, she told the Times Free Press: "If this is where he's starting with his campaign against me, it's only going to get worse. Going up against one of the biggest bullies in the state Senate, I knew this was going to be a low-aiming campaign."
Gardenhire said he'd done only one poll this campaign season, in August, and said it was not a push poll.
"I don't do push polls," Gardenhire said. "If she's had somebody call her in the last couple of weeks, they're not mine. I don't know who would do that."
Wilkinson provided a copy of a transcript of one such call. In the 16-minute telephone survey, voters are asked whether they are more likely to vote for Gardenhire, "a Christian [whose] his religious values often serve as the basis of his voting decisions," or Wilkinson, "a nihilist [who] rejects there is a God and rejects all religious values and moral principles."
Voters are asked whether they favor or oppose a $15 minimum wage, "Even if you will have to pay as much as double for such basic items as groceries, dry-cleaning, restaurant dining, and the dollar menu at McDonald's and Burger King could increase to $3 or $4?"
The poll-taker asks if the person who best represents local voters is "a person born and raised and educated in Chattanooga public schools and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, or a person who moved to Chattanooga from Detroit and was educated in other parts of the country?"
And voters are asked whether they would be more or less likely to vote for the Democrat "if you learned that the Democratic state senator could not get anything passed because the Republicans hold a super majority."
There also are questions about gun rights, transgender bathrooms, the failed TennCare expansion to provide insurance to the poor, and numerous other issues.
Gardenhire said his poll was about "regular issues." He said the question whether District 10 residents would best be represented by someone locally raised and educated rather than someone who moved here was on his August poll.
Asked whether the nihilism and supermajority questions were on his poll, Gardenhire said, "In all seriousness, I'd have to look at the poll questions and see."
Wilkinson said the "nihilist" label is a "flat-out lie." She grew up in a conservative Christian home, one grandfather was a pastor and she holds a master's degree in philosophy, she said.
"My values have been informed by my upbringing in the Christian faith and by the wisdom found in ethical and religious systems from around the world. I believe in the freedom of thought and religious expression, and that the Bible is a moral guide," Wilkinson said in the transcript of a speech prepared for delivery this morning.
"If Senator Gardenhire approved these polls, he made a choice to deliberately mislead voters and levy unfounded attacks on my faith and moral character. This is something I take very seriously."
According to the transcript, the poll was being conducted by Tennessee Opinion Research. No information was available online or at the Tennessee Secretary of State's Office for any firm by that name. Gardenhire said his polling company was in Louisiana but did not give the name.
Wilkinson said she hasn't done any polling herself but believes her focus on addressing issues such as low wages, poor schools and lack of access to health care are resonating with voters.
She derided Gardenhire's "claim he has Christian values when he doesn't care for the sick and the poor in the Legislature."
"Todd Gardenhire is afraid of being held accountable for decisions made in the last four years. because he can't run on his record," Wilkinson said.
The election is Nov. 8.
Contact staff writer Judy Walton at jwalton@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6416.