NASHVILLE - New polls out from CNN and Fox News in Tennessee's U.S. Senate race show Republican Marsha Blackburn leading Democrat Phil Bredesen by 4 to 9 points with 49 percent to 50 percent of likely voters saying in the respective surveys that they support Blackburn.
They're among a rash of new surveys showing Blackburn now leading in a race where candidates and outside Republican and Democratic groups have now spent $83.6 million.
Through Wednesday, a record number of Tennessee voters in a non-presidential year - 1.25 million voters - had voted early or by absentee in the Nov. 6 contest.
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Early voting wraps up later Thursday. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is flying into Chattanooga Sunday for a rally on Blackburn's behalf in advance of Election Day on Tuesday.
CNN's Oct. 24-29 survey of 764 voters found U.S. Rep. Blackburn leading Bredesen, a former two-term governor and Nashville mayor, by 49 percent to 45 percent. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.3 percent, meaning the contest is a dead heat.
A previous CNN survey last month had Bredesen up by a 5-point margin.
Fox's Oct. 27-30 poll of 718 likely voters, meanwhile, showed Blackburn with 50 percent support compared to 41 percent for Bredesen, a former two-term governor and Nashville mayor. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percent.
Pollsters in both surveys had different mixes of Republican, Democratic and independent voters. Fox's pollster has an "A" rating by the website FiveThirtyEight.com while CNN's has an "A-" rating.
Another poll from Emerson College poll, conducted Oct. 28-30, found Blackburn leading by 52 percent to Bredesen's 44 percent. The survey had a margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Emerson's polling has a "B+" from FiveThirtyEight.com
Blackburn, a staunch GOP conservative, and Bredesen, a pro-business moderate Democrat, are fighting to replace retiring Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Chattanooga. It's become a flash point in the national battle over Senate control between Republicans and Democrats where the GOP has 51 members and Democrats 49.
In the Tennessee contest to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, CNN's survey showed Republican Bill Lee leading by 10 points or 52 percent to 42 percent.
Fox's poll showed Lee ahead 17 points or 54 percent to 37 percent.
Emerson's poll shows Lee leading by 54 percent to 41 percent.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow on Twitter @AndySher1.