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New CNN poll puts Bredesen over Blackburn by 50-45 percent in Tennessee’s U.S. Senate race

Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen speaks at a summit on the opioid crisis put on by Healthy Tennessee, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Bredesen said Friday that his first action in the U.S. Senate would be to file or co-sponsor legislation to repeal a 2016 law criticized for weakening federal authority to curb opioid distribution. The announcement sought to put his opponent, Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, on the spot for supporting the law. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen speaks at a summit on the opioid crisis put on by Healthy Tennessee, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Bredesen said Friday that his first action in the U.S. Senate would be to file or co-sponsor legislation to repeal a 2016 law criticized for weakening federal authority to curb opioid distribution. The announcement sought to put his opponent, Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, on the spot for supporting the law. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

By Andy Sher 4 min read

NASHVILLE – A CNN poll released Monday places Democrat Phil Bredesen with a 50-45 percent lead over Republican Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee’s U.S. Senate race.

The SSRS survey of 723 likely voters, conducted Sept. 11-15, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percent.

Bredesen, a former governor and one-time Nashville mayor, and Blackburn, a Brentwood congressman, are squaring off to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Chattanooga.

It’s shaped up so far as Tennessee’s fiercest Senate battle since Corker narrowly beat Democrat Harold Ford in 2006. Blackburn, Bredesen, national parties and independent expenditure groups are throwing millions of dollars into ads in the Nov. 6 election an effort to sway voters in a key state that could determine Senate control.

photo Marsha Blackburn and Phil Bredesen

CNN reported the poll found voters’ positive views of Bredesen, who enjoyed high ratings as governor, are more than double his negatives. Fifty-five percent of likely voters said they viewed him favorably and 26 percent in a less favorable light. Ten percent had no opinion, while nine percent said they’d never heard of him.