A poll released Monday by the political polling firm Cygnal shows U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) with a dominant lead in the 2026 Tennessee Republican gubernatorial primary.
The poll shows Blackburn capturing 58 percent of the overall vote (34 percent definite, 24 percent probable), giving her a commanding 51-point lead over U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06), who trails at just 7 percent, and a 54-point lead over Tennessee State Representative Monty Fritts (R-Kingston), who is polling at 4 percent.
Cygnal poll | 3/16-3/17 LV
Tennessee Governor Republican primary 2026
🟥Marsha Blackburn 58%
🟥John Rose 7%
🟥Monty Fritts 4%
🟥Rebecca Inman 1%
🟥Carlton Boleyjack 0%Link to poll: https://t.co/KCP1E66JlE pic.twitter.com/Y8LeNQLETi
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) March 23, 2026
Notably, the poll found that Blackburn draws stronger support from Trump-aligned voters than from more traditional conservatives. Among “Trump GOP” voters, Blackburn commands roughly 69 percent support, compared to about 49 percent among “Traditional GOP” voters.
Overall, 30 percent of voters are still undecided, according to the poll, which surveyed 500 likely 2026 Republican primary election voters in the Volunteer State from March 16-17 via live phones and SMS.
The Cygnal poll characterizes the race as one already tilting heavily in Blackburn’s favor, noting there is “little room for meaningful movement against her.”
Blackburn’s dominance, the survey notes, comes as Republican primary voters remain focused on “kitchen table” concerns, with cost of living and inflation ranking as the top issue among voters (24 percent), followed by immigration (15 percent) and the broader economy and jobs (10 percent).
Blackburn’s commanding lead in the Cygnal poll aligns with previous surveys, which have shown the incumbent senator with a dominant advantage in the race.
A poll conducted last month by Tennesseans for Student Success found Blackburn earning 60.6 percent support in the GOP primary, far ahead of Rose at 8.1 percent and Fritts at 5.1 percent, with just over 26 percent of voters undecided.
Similarly, a separate survey from the Beacon Center of Tennessee, released in early February, showed Blackburn leading Rose by 47 points and Fritts by 49 points.
The Republican primary for the 2026 governor’s race is scheduled for August 6.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn. Photo “John Rose” by John Rose. Background Photo “Voting Booths” by Tim Evanson. CC BY-SA 2.0.
