Blackburn, Bredesen virtually tied in approval ratings in US Senate race, MTSU poll says

One year out from the 2018 Tennessee U.S. Senate race, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, a potential candidate, have “statistically indistinguishable” approval ratings, a new poll from Middle Tennessee State University has found.

The poll, released Tuesday, found Blackburn is viewed positively by 37 percent of all registered Tennessee voters while Bredesen is viewed positively by 34 percent. Thirty-one percent of respondents said they have negative feelings for Blackburn, while 29 percent had negative feelings for Bredesen.

Blackburn, who has represented Tennessee's 7th congressional district since 2003, is considered a favorite to capture the GOP nomination in the race to replace Republican Sen. Bob Corker, who in September announced plans to retire.

Bredesen, governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011 and former Nashville mayor, is expected to make a decision within a few weeks on whether he'll run for U.S. Senate as a Democrat.

Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/31/blackburn-bredesen-virtually-tied-approval-ratings-us-senate-race-mtsu-poll-says/817291001/