A new CNN poll in Arizona finds Kyrsten Sinema (D) tops Martha McSally (R) by 7 points in the U.S. senate race, 50% to 43% among likely voters.
In Tennessee, Phil Bredesen (D) holds a 5-point edge over Marsha Blackburn (R), 50% to 45% among likely voters there.
Roughly 1 in 6 voters in each state say there’s a chance they’ll change their mind before Election Day.
Greg Sargent: “The thing is, though, that Tennessee looks like a must win for Democrats if they are to gain the majority. It goes back to that math problem again: If a Democratic incumbent loses in one of those four states, Democrats have to flip Tennessee in addition to Arizona and Nevada to win the Senate. The only alternative is running the table in all those six states other than Tennessee.”
Said J.B. Poersch, the head of the Senate Majority PAC: “There’s a way to get to the majority without Tennessee. But it’s a high priority.”
A new NBC News/Marist poll in Tennessee finds Phil Bredesen (D) edging Marsha Blackburn (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 48% to 46% among likely voters.
Among the larger pool of registered voters, Bredesen leads Blackburn by four points, 48% to 44%, but it’s still within the survey’s margin of error.
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“After months of campaigning and more than $50 million in spending, Tennessee voters head to the polls Thursday decide who will be the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial nominees,” the Tennessean reports.
“Also on the ballot are primaries for the U.S. Senate, Congress, the state legislature and a host of local contests across the Volunteer State.”
Politico: Why is Tennessee’s primary on a Thursday?
A new Vanderbilt poll in Tennessee finds that independent voters “have a significantly more positive view” of former Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) than Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), as the race to replace Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) continues to heat up.
Further, a majority of Republicans even say they have a favorable view of Bredesen.
Politico: “Republicans are increasingly unnerved by the rift between retiring Sen. Bob Corker and Marsha Blackburn, the GOP congresswoman vying to replace him, saying it could cost them a must-win seat in Tennessee.”
From a new Axios/Survey Monkey poll:
ARIZONA: Kyrsten Sinema (D) 51%, Martha McSally (R) 42%
ARIZONA: Kyrsten Sinema (D) 51%, Kelli Ward (R) 43%
ARIZONA: Kyrsten Sinema (D) 56%, Joe Arpaio (R) 32%
NEVADA: Jacky Rosen (D) 50%, Dean Heller (R) 44%
TENNESSEE: Phil Bredesen (D) 48%, Marsha Blackburn (R) 47%
A new Mason-Dixon poll in Tennessee finds Phil Bredesen (D) leading Marsha Blackburn (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 46% to 43%, with 11% still undecided.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) refused CNN interview to even say Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) name — referring to her only as the “nominee” — as he claimed he backed her for his U.S. Senate seat.
“I don’t think it’s possible, I’ll be honest with you. My expectation is that I will be in the minority in the Senate.”
— Tennessee U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen (D), quoted by the New York Times, to Republicans who suggest a vote for him is a vote to make Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) the majority leader.
While retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) announced that he’s contributed to expected GOP Senate nominee Marsha Blackburn (R), he also said that he won’t be out campaigning against her opponent, former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D), the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports.
Said Corker: “I certainly do not plan to be working against somebody who is a friend and who has served our state ably. We’ve worked together to build a great state.”
A new Middle Tennessee State University poll in Tennessee finds Phil Bredesen (D) has a 10-point lead over Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in the race to succeed Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), 45% to 35%, with 17% still not sure.
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Tennessee finds former Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) with a slight edge over Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in the U.S. Senate race, 46% to 41%, with 13% still undecided.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) says he has “no idea” what he’ll do once he leaves Congress in January, but he does know one thing his future won’t include: Following the well-worn Washington path from lawmaker to hired-gun lobbyist, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports.
Said Corker: “You won’t see me around here. I don’t think I’ll be up here. You certainly won’t see me doing any kind of government relations work or anything like that. But, you know, we’ll see what happens.”
Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen’s (D) campaign for U.S. Senate told the FBI that it fears it has been hacked, amid growing concern that candidates in the 2018 election could be targets of cyberattacks, the AP reports.
“The possible hack comes amid warnings from U.S. officials that the 2018 midterm elections could face additional cyber meddling from Russia and others, from both domestic and international sources.”
Washington Post: “Many of President Trump’s political aides made it a priority to ensure that the Tennessean, who has accused the president of ‘debasing’ the country with his ‘untruths’ and ‘name-calling,’ did not reenter the race. So they went straight to the one person with the ability to give Corker a new lease on his political life: Trump himself.”
“They frequently reminded the president of Corker’s criticism, at times even providing specific examples. They kept folders documenting the attacks from Corker and other Trump detractors. They argued that if Trump backed Corker, all that ugliness would receive renewed national attention.”
“Brushing aside pleas from some of his fellow Republicans, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) hasn’t changed his mind about retirement and won’t seek re-election,” the Tennessean reports.
Politico: “The move ends a period of intense speculation in Tennessee and Washington about Corker’s future and avoids what could have been an ugly primary between Corker and Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn.”
“Republicans worried about holding on to their Senate majority are trying to convince three lawmakers to reconsider their decisions and run for the upper chamber,” The Hill reports.
“Reps. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Ann Wagner (R-MO) are being encouraged to launch Senate bids after initially passing on those races, while Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) is hearing calls to put off his retirement and run for reelection.”
“The last-minute maneuvering suggests the GOP primary fields may not be settled just eight months before the November midterm elections and highlights an increasing nervousness among Republicans that their Senate majority — once seen as nearly invincible — may be at risk.”
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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