Blackburn, Bredesen rally their supporters as Tennessee early voting begins

Democrat Phil Bredesen, left, and Republican Marsha Blackburn are shown in this composite photo.
Democrat Phil Bredesen, left, and Republican Marsha Blackburn are shown in this composite photo.
photo Republican Senate hopeful Marsha Blackburn answers questions during a campaign stop Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, in Franklin, Tenn. Wednesday is the first day of Tennessee's early voting. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Republican Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Phil Bredesen spent the first day of early voting Wednesday firing up their respective home bases as Tennessee's knock-down, drag out U.S. Senate contest enters its final weeks.

"I will tell you right now that Tennessee is not going to be the state to hand the U.S. Senate to the Democrats," Blackburn, a congress member, told some 150 supporters at an event in Franklin where she appeared with Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Lee.

Former governor and Nashville mayor Bredesen, meanwhile, spoke before a similar-size crowd in Nashville, telling them "this race for me is a really tight race. It's going to come down to who turns out to vote. It's that close, and that's what we always kind of thought it would be."

Bredesen joked about last week's surprise endorsement of him and U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, R-Tenn., by music superstar Taylor Swift.

"One of the immediate comments I saw on one of those blogs was that she had just endorsed two of the least sexy politicians in America," Bredesen dryly observed as some attendees laughed. "So, we're going to have to live with that."

As early voting in the Nov. 6 election began, a new poll of 1,108 likely voters by Reuters/Ipsos/The University of Virginia Center for Politics shows a tight contest with Blackburn leading 47-44 percent, a statistical tie. Other recent polls show her with a more substantial lead.

If Tennessee midterm election history is any guide, more than 40 percent of the entire Nov. 6 vote comes during early voting, which extends through Nov. 1.

Besides the Blackburn-Bredesen race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Bob Corker, of Chattanooga, there's also the open governor's race, where Democrat Karl Dean and Republican Bill Lee are vying to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Haslam. All 99 state House races are up, as well as 17 of the 33 state Senate seats.

photo Democrat Phil Bredesen speaks with Sylvia W. Phillips, president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Bill Honeycutt, a member of the board of directors for the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, following an ideas forum Monday, Oct. 1, 2018, at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Bredesen held the event to talk about his platform and field audience questions.

During her rally in Franklin, Blackburn said while Democrats keep talking about a "blue wave" that will bring them to majorities in the Senate and House, "I keep saying that is going to run into the great red wall when it gets here."

She touted President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans' tax cuts, record low unemployment and economic growth in Tennessee "we have not seen" previously, as well as Tennesseans' support for the president's decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "They like that we have defeated ISIS in Syria.

"They appreciate that this administration and this Congress has fully funded the U.S. military and taking care of our veterans."

Tennesseans, Blackburn said, "know that a vote for Phil Bredesen is a vote for [Senate Democratic Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer, who would be Bredesen's boss - he would be his boss."

Bredesen, who has said he would be a moderate pragmatist willing to work with Republicans when possible, has said he would not vote for Schumer as leader.

"People know that a vote for Phil Bredesen is a vote for Dianne Feinstein to chair Senate Judiciary, a vote for Elizabeth Warren to chair Senate Finance, a vote for Bernie Sanders to chair the Senate Budget Committee," Blackburn added.

Citing his ability to work across partisan lines as governor, Bredesen told supporters that voters have a choice between "two very different styles and ideas about what government is about."

Alluding to Blackburn, a staunch conservative, Bredesen said "I'm running against someone who has that very hard-nose partisan view. It is all about supporting President Trump, doing exactly what he wants. Republicans are good. Democrats are bad - 'Demoncrats' as she likes to call them. Never compromise. Lines in the sand.

"If you want to get back to the days in which we really figured out some ways to get thing done, if you want to make some compromises, if you want to figure how to just move the ball, I think that's what I did as both mayor and governor," Bredesen added.

Spending in the open Senate contest to succeed the retiring Corker has now topped $51 million as the candidates, political parties, political action committees and politically active nonprofit groups known as 501(c)(4)s and 501(c)(6)s have opened the flood gates on spending here.

Federal campaign finance disclosures filed earlier this week show Bredesen's campaign has spent $11.7 million since the 2018 campaign cycle started. Outside groups have shelled out about $13 million to help him.

Blackburn's campaign has spent about $9 million, while outside groups have blown through $17.6 million to help Blackburn in a contest that could determine control of the Senate, where the GOP now has a 51-49 edge.

Contact staff writer Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.

Upcoming Events