NASHVILLE - Democrat Phil Bredesen and Republican Marsha Blackburn are essentially tied in their U.S. Senate battle in Tennessee, despite the state's Republican leanings, according to a new NBC News/Marist poll of likely voters here.
Bredesen, a former governor and one-time Nashville mayor, had support from 48 percent of 538 likely voters, while U.S. Rep. Blackburn garnered 46 percent. The Aug. 25-28 survey says only 5 percent of those surveyed are undecided.
The likely voter portion of the survey had a margin of error of 5.1 percentage points. Bredesen led by a larger margin among the 730 registered voters, 48 percent to 44 percent, within the larger sampling having a 4.5 percentage point margin of error, according to NBC.
Bredesen and Blackburn are vying to succeed Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Chattanooga, who decided not to seek re-election.
Meanwhile, Tennessee's race for governor to succeed the term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Haslam isn't as competitive, according to the NBC/Marist poll.
Republican businessman Bill Lee holds a 13-point lead over Democrat Karl Dean, another former Nashville mayor, by 53 percent to 40 percent among likely voters, the survey found.
Among likely voters in the Senate contest, Bredesen leads among Democrats 97 percent to 0 percent. Black voters back Bredesen by 86 percent to 8 percent for Blackburn. He also led Blackburn among women by 55 percent to 40 percent. Independent voters are split - 49 percent to 45 percent.
Blackburn leads among Republicans at 86 percent to 9 percent as well as men by 54 percent to 40 percent. And among whites, she garners 53 percent to Bredesen's 42 percent.
The NBC/Marist poll shows that Tennessee, which President Donald Trump won by more than 25 points in 2016, remains solidly Republican. The GOP enjoys a 12-point lead in congressional preference among likely voters, and Trump's job rating is slightly above water with 47 percent approving and 43 percent disapproving.
But NBC reports that Bredesen, who served two terms as Tennessee governor from 2003 to 2011, remains competitive because of his popularity. Sixty-one percent of likely voters have a positive view of him while just 22 percent have a negative view.
By contrast, Blackburn's favorable/unfavorable rating is 46 percent positive, 36 percent negative.
"Trump carried Tennessee by 26 points in 2016, and the state looks red again in 2018 with one possible exception," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, according to NBC News. "Democrats got an unexpected gift with the retirement of Senator Corker, and that race is a tossup right now."
NBC News says this is the third-straight NBC/Marist poll released this week - following surveys of Missouri and Indiana - that shows competitive races that could decide Senate control after the November election.
Democrats must gain a net of two Senate seats to flip control of the chamber, and Tennessee represents one of their best pick-up opportunities after Arizona and Nevada, according to NBC News.
The poll found the top issues in Tennessee are the economy and health care, with 27 percent of likely voters citing the economy and jobs while 20 percent named health care. Immigration was the most important factor to 13 percent of those surveyed.
Regarding tariffs, 43 percent told pollsters they hurt the economy by raising the cost of goods. That compares to 30 percent who said they help the economy by protecting American jobs.
The state has a number of major auto assembly factories and suppliers, including Volkswagen in Chattanooga.
Asked what message their vote for Congress will send, 48 percent said it would be for more Democrats to serve as a check and balance to President Trump. Forty-six percent who said it would be for more Republicans to help pass Trump's agenda.