Is Tennessee Senate Race Tightening or Not?

Republicans in Tennessee were somewhat stunned Friday with the release of the new Vanderbilt University Poll showing Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen edging GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn in the Volunteer State’s heated U.S. Senate race.

Bredesen, according to the Vanderbilt poll, leads Blackburn by 44 to 43 percent.  The margin of error is 4.9 percent. 

The surprise among Republicans about the poll stemmed from the fact that only five days ago, a New York Times/Siena College poll showed Blackburn beating Bredesen by a 54 to 40 percent margin.

At the time of the Times/Siena poll, Tennessee Republicans attributed Blackburn’s surge to voter anger over the Democratic treatment of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. At the time, former Rep. Van Hilleary, R.-TN, told Newsmax, “the Kavanaugh hearings have fired up the base.  No doubt about it.”

But the latest figures from Vanderbilt suggest otherwise.  According to the poll, 49 percent of female residents prefer Bredesen and 37 percent prefer Blackburn — a sign that charges of assault against Kavanaugh may have taken off. The same survey showed men prefer Blackburn by 50 to 37 percent.

“But what everyone forgets is that the highest Bredesen can get is 48 percent statewide,” said Hilleary, “And not all of his personal wealth can change that.”

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.