Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., would be the "clear front-runner" in her home state's next Republican gubernatorial primary if she were to run, according to a longtime pollster for President Donald Trump.
Tony Fabrizio, the pollster for Trump's 2016 and 2024 campaigns, told Axios on Thursday that a recent survey he conducted of Tennessee Republicans showed that Blackburn would be the favorite to win the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2026 because of her 82% favorability rating among likely primary voters.
Blackburn, who easily won reelection in November to a second six-year term, reportedly has been telling people she is likely to run for governor in 2026 as Republican Gov. Bill Lee is term-limited and cannot run again.
The poll also found that Blackburn has "a commanding lead in a hypothetical" primary matchup against Rep. John Rose, who previously said he is considering a gubernatorial bid, with Blackburn winning 71% of the vote to Rose's 13%, according to The Tennessee Star.
"This poll is evidence of Marsha Blackburn's strength in Tennessee because of her conservative record of delivering for the people … and that if she decides to run for governor, she will win," Blackburn spokesperson Abbi Sigler told Axios.
Fabrizio, Lee & Associates surveyed 800 likely voters in the Tennessee GOP primary from Jan. 13-15, and the poll had a margin of error of +/- 3.46 percentage points, according to Axios.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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