Grant StarrettA little over two months before early voting starts in Tennessee’s Aug. 4 GOP primary, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., says a new poll commissioned by his campaign shows him with a big lead over his Republican challenger, Grant Starrett.
The South Pittsburg physician’s campaign released the poll Thursday of what it says are 400 likely Republican voters. It shows DesJarlais with 61 percent support versus 8 percent for the lesser-known Starrett in the state’s 4th Congressional District.
Twenty-seven percent were undecided, while another 3 percent split among other GOP primary candidates.
DesJarlais’ campaign says the three-term congressman’s 61 percent favorable rating is his highest ever.
Twenty-five percent of the Republicans polled held unfavorable views of DesJarlais, who scraped out a 2014 GOP primary win over Jim Tracy by 38 votes.