Phil Bredesen holds narrow edge over Marsha Blackburn, new Mason-Dixon poll shows

Another poll on the U.S. Senate race between former Gov. Phil Bredesen and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn has the Nashville Democrat with a narrow lead, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The survey, commissioned and released by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, found 46 percent of respondents supported Bredesen, while 43 percent favored Blackburn, a Brentwood Republican.

Eleven percent of respondents remained undecided on the race.

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Bredesen's narrow lead falls within the poll's margin of error, which was plus or minus 4 percentage points. The poll, conducted April 17-19, surveyed 625 registered Tennessee voters using cell phones and land lines.

Although the Mason-Dixon survey is the latest to show Bredesen with a lead over Blackburn, the congressman's performance in East Tennessee provided her a bright spot.

Forty-eight percent of respondents from East Tennessee said they would vote for Blackburn if the election were immediately held, compared to 39 percent for Bredesen.

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Bredesen maintained a lead among respondents in both Middle and West Tennessee. In Middle Tennessee — where both candidates reside — Bredesen had a 49 percent to 42 percent advantage over Blackburn.

In West Tennessee, 51 percent of respondents favored Bredesen while 38 percent said they'd vote for Blackburn.

Bredesen continues to outpace Blackburn in terms of crossover appeal. Twelve percent of Republican respondents said they would vote for Bredesen. Just 4 percent of those surveyed said they've vote for Blackburn.

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Among independent voters, 49 percent said they'd vote for Bredesen while 35 percent favored Blackburn.

In terms of name recognition, the Mason-Dixon poll found Bredesen had a 43 percent to 35 percent advantage over Blackburn regarding favorability.

Conversely, 26 percent of respondents had a negative view of Blackburn compared to Bredesen's 18 percent.

The poll also found Blackburn leads among men, voters over 50 years old and white voters. Bredesen leads among women, voters under the age of 50 and African-Americans.

The Mason-Dixon poll is the latest to provide insights among Tennessee voters on a race that is expected to draw widespread national interest.

Earlier this month, a poll from Middle Tennessee State University found Bredesen had a 10-point lead over Blackburn.

Other polls have had Blackburn ahead of Bredesen.

In Tennessee's last tightly contest U.S. Senate race, Mason-Dixon polling famously released a survey just days before the election between Bob Corker and Harold Ford Jr. that showed the Chattanooga Republican with a 12-point advantage.

The poll had Corker with 50 percent compared to Ford's 38 percent.

Corker ended up winning by netting 50.7 percent of the vote to Ford's 48 percent.

Mason-Dixon also polled in the 2000 presidential race in Tennessee and the 2002 governor's race, among others.

In the 2000 race, the Mason-Dixon poll showed George W. Bush with a four-point edge in Tennessee over then-Vice President Al Gore Jr. in the week before the election. Bush won the state by 3.9 percentage points.

Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.