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Analysis: In a Republican Primary today, 5/23/06, for United States Senator from Tennessee, Bob Corker defeats Van Hilleary and Ed Bryant, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for WBIR-TV Knoxville. Corker gets 38% today. Van Hilleary gets 28%. Ed Bryant gets 23%. 8% are undecided. The Senate seat is "open": incumbent Republican Senator Bill Frist is not running for re-election. The Primary is on Thursday, 8/3/06. A survey of Registered Tennessee voters conducted by SurveyUSA one month ago showed that 56% of Tennesseans were "unfamiliar" with Corker, and just 11% had a favorable impression of him. Since then, heavy ad spending has raised Corker's profile to such an extent that he is now under attack both by his Republican competitors (who a month ago were both better known and more liked) and by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Corker, former Mayor of Chattanooga, is up by 27 points in Eastern Tennessee. Hilleary, former Congressman from TN's 4th Congressional District, leads by 8 points in Middle Tennessee. Bryant, former Congressman from TN's 7th Congressional District, leads by 22 points in Western Tennessee. The winner is expected to face Democrat Harold Ford, Jr., in November. Tennessee has not had a Democratic U.S. Senator since 1994. |