A new poll released by The Tennessee Star conducted of 1,007 likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee by Triton Polling and Research shows that Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) may have trouble winning the nomination of his own party in its August 2018 U.S. Senate primary.
First elected to the United States Senate in 2006, the former mayor of Chattanooga is up for re-election to a third term in 2018. He has not yet said that he will seek re-election, but many political observers would be surprised if he opted not to run again.
When asked “As of now, do you think Bob Corker deserves re-election or is it time to give someone else a chance? ” only 41.1 percent of likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee said he “deserves re-election.”
An equal number, 41.6 percent, said “give someone else a chance.”
There were not a great number who were undecided on this question–only 17.3 percent said “don’t know/not sure.”
“An incumbent who falls below a 50 percent re-elect number should be wary, particularly when they have seen so much anti-incumbent turmoil in the electorate in recent years,” media consultant and political strategist Steve Gill tells The Tennessee Star.
“But when that number slips to 41 percent, as we see with Senator Corker’s numbers, it should sound alarm bells,” Gill adds.
The junior Senator from Tennessee may only have himself to blame for some of his apparent vulnerability.
Last month he made headlines when he criticized President Trump, who remains very popular among Tennessee’s Republican primary voters.
When asked “Senator Bob Corker recently said President Trump is ‘out of control’ and the ‘White House is in a downward spiral.’ Do you agree or disagree with Senator Corker?” only 20 percent of likely Tennessee GOP primary voters agreed. A huge 76 percent disagreed.
His criticism of President Trump appears to have hurt Corker badly among Tennessee’s Republican primary voters.
When asked “Based upon Senator Corker’s comments about President Trump, are you more likely or less likely to vote for him, or do his comments make no difference?” a full 55 percent of likely Tennessee GOP primary voters said they were “less likely to vote for him.” Only 11 percent said they were “more likely to vote for him.”
Thirty-three percent said his comments made no difference.
“Senator Corker is well known and has high name recognition, so the opportunity to change his image among voters, particularly among conservative Republicans, is pretty limited,” media consultant Gill says.
“The intense support for Trump among GOP primary voters is another challenge for Corker, particularly in view of the critical comments he has directed at the President. If Trump retains the current level of support among Tennessee Republican voters, or even higher, that doesn’t bode well for an establishment type politician. In fact, the negative response to Corker’s comments about Trump’s administration being in a ‘downward spiral’ make it clear that Trump supporters have little tolerance for attacks on him by fellow Republicans,” Gill adds.
A Capitol Hill insider agrees with Gill’s assessment of Corker’s potential vulnerability in 2018.
“The re-elect number could be problematic,” the insider tells The Star.
“Corker has had nearly 12 years to solidify a reputation among Republicans. But he seems to be taking an unnecessary risk with that reputation by maligning someone like Trump, who won all but three of Tennessee’s 95 counties,” the insider says.
Fortunately for Sen. Corker, President Trump may not harbor the same level of animosity towards him that Tennessee Republican primary voters apparently do. This past weekend, Corker joined Trump and Tennessee football legend Peyton Manning in a game of golf.
But Tennessee Republican primaries have been treacherous for incumbents lately.
“In 2014 Senator Lamar Alexander was held to under 49 percent and lost a few dozen counties against a vastly underfunded and almost unknown State Rep. Joe Carr. None of the polls a year out showed Alexander this vulnerable to a challenge,” Gill noted.
“A well funded, conservative challenger in the August 2018 Republican primary could mean big trouble for Corker,” Gill concluded.
The Capitol Hill insider sounds a cautionary note to Senator Corker as well.
“With a re-elect so under water with Republican primary voters, Corker needs to be very careful. All it would take for him to get a serious primary opponent would be to have an ethical or personal controversy emerge,” the insider tells The Star.
“Corker doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room with poll numbers like these,” the insider concludes.
The Tennessee Star Poll asked likely Republican primary voters about how three potential conservative challengers to Senator Bob Corker would fare in head-to-head match ups with him in the August 2018 Republican primary.
Those results will be released in a separate story that will be published at The Star at 9 a.m. today.
The Tennessee Star Poll also asked likely Tennessee Republican primary voters their views on three key issues expected to dominate the 2018 Gubernatorial campaign: repeal of the gas tax, in-state tuition for illegal aliens, and “Constitutional Carry.”
Those results will be released later today and tomorrow.
The poll, which was commissioned by The Tennessee Star and conducted by Triton Polling and Research in an automated (IVR) telephone survey of 1,007 likely Tennessee Republican Primary voters between May 31 and June 5, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.
You can read the gubernatorial head-to-head match up question and the Senator Corker re-elect question from page 2 of the top line poll results, as well as pages 1, 4, and 5, here:
[pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Poll1.pdf” title=”Tennessee Star Poll of Likely Republican Primary Voters Released June 6 2017″]
[pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Poll2Q67.pdf” title=”Tennessee Star Poll of Likely Republican Primary Voters Released June 6 2017″]
[pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Poll4all.pdf” title=”Tennessee Star Poll of Likely Republican Primary Voters Released June 6 2017″]
[pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Poll5.pdf” title=”Tennessee Star Poll of Likely Republican Primary Voters Released June 6 2017″]
[…] Poll: Senator Bob Corker May Be In Trouble With Tennessee Republican Primary Voters – The Tenn… Not GSE related. […]
[…] bad as the low approval ratings recorded by former Senator Bob Corker before he chose to not seek reelection. Nevertheless, Alexander’s numbers have declined from his 37.3 percent approval to 38.1 percent […]
I’m also wondering about Senator Corker. He did help craft the Iran deal with other Senators. Can someone tell me what he’s done for Tennessee over the past 12 years? Has he sent money home, and for what?
[…] architect of the Iran nuclear deal, Senator Corker is polling poorly with likely Republican voters in Tennessee, 41.6 percent of whom answered it’s time to […]
[…] untruthful.” Well, here’s the truth: Only 41 percent of Tennessee Republicans believed Corker deserved to be reelected. By pandering to Democrats and pursuing liberal policies—most […]
[…] as “utterly untruthful.” Well, here’s the truth: Only 41 percent of Tennessee Republicans believed Corker deserved to be reelected. By pandering to Democrats and pursuing liberal policies—most […]
[…] as “utterly untruthful.” Well, here’s the truth: Only 41 percent of Tennessee Republicans believed Corker deserved to be reelected. By pandering to Democrats and pursuing liberal policies—most […]
[…] said, Corker did face political trouble. A June poll of likely Republican primary voters by the Tennessee Star showed mixed results, with 41% backing […]
[…] said, Corker did face political trouble. A June poll of likely Republican primary voters by the Tennessee Star showed mixed results, with 41% backing […]
[…] poll by The Tennessee Star released in June found that 41 percent of Republican primary voters wanted to reelect Corker, […]
[…] poll by The Tennessee Star released in June found that 41 percent of Republican primary voters wanted to reelect Corker, […]
[…] committee, is influential. But he also might be in trouble when it comes to re-election. A poll out this summer indicated that 42 percent of Republican primary voters in the state thought it was […]
[…] poll by The Tennessee Star released in June found that 41 percent of Republican primary voters wanted to reelect Corker, while […]
[…] first won election in 2006. A poll by The Tennessee Star released in June found that 41 percent of Republican primary voters wanted to reelect Corker, […]
[…] first won election in 2006. A poll by The Tennessee Star released in June found that 41 percent of Republican primary voters wanted to reelect Corker, […]
[…] first won election in 2006. A poll by The Tennessee Star released in June found that 41 percent of Republican primary voters wanted to reelect Corker, […]
[…] first won election in 2006. A poll by The Tennessee Star released in June found that 41 percent of Republican primary voters wanted to reelect Corker, […]
[…] initial won choosing in 2006. A check by The Tennessee Star released in Jun found that 41 percent of Republican primary electorate wanted to reelect Corker, […]
[…] June poll by The Tennessee Star found that 41 percent of Republican primary voters wanted to reelect Corker, while 42 percent […]
[…] Tennessee Star Poll released in June showed that Corker, who is up for re-election in 2018, is extremely vulnerable for an incumbent. […]
[…] June poll by The Tennessee Star found that 41 percent of Republican primary voters wanted to reelect Corker, while 42 percent […]
I guess the folks in Tennessee are Cinos (conservative in name only). Donald Trump was a big Hillary supporter, before he wasn’t.
Bob corker has really disappointed me. Let’s vote him out this time around.
[…] Tennessee Star Poll conducted in June among likely Tennessee Republican primary voters showed that Corker was vulnerable. In a […]
[…] Trump’s tweet seemed to reference conversations with Corker about the senator’s 2018 re-election bid: […]
Bob Corker (RINO ROB) is almost as republican as Hillary Clinton. Corker needs to be thrown out of office.
Bob has made no attempt to hide his two faced Rino behavior
Senator Corker seems to think the view of the people of Tennessee who overwhelmingly elected President Trump doesn’t matter, only his leftist view of the way things should be does. The people of Tennessee need to get rid of the RINO Robert Corker. RINO Rob must go.
[…] Tennessee Star poll conducted of likely Republican primary voters in June revealed that Corker is extremely vulnerable […]
[…] Randy Boyd out front in the money race. And even if U.S. Sen. Bob Corker’s favorability has flagged a bit among likely GOP voters, winning a statewide primary against other challengers and a two-term […]
[…] recent Tennessee Star Poll showed that Corker is statistically tied in a theoretical primary match up with Rep. Marsha Blackburn […]
[…] few weeks ago, the Tennessee Star commissioned a statewide poll of Republican primary voters. In that poll, Corker’s re-elect was 41% among voters of his own […]
[…] recent Tennessee Star/Triton poll found Burchett’s chances for a successful bid for the US Senate may be good, due to […]
[…] is affiliated with the Tennessee Star website that recently put out a poll with an accompanying story saying Senator Corker could be in trouble […]
Is he the first senator in history to recommend shorting 2 Fortune 500 companies? What next–recommend shorting McDonalds because you prefer Burger King?
[…] vulnerable. Only 41 percent of likely Republican primary voters think he deserves another term, according to the recent Tennessee Star Poll. An equal 41 percent want to give someone else a […]
[…] the new Tennessee Star polling data revealing significant vulnerabilities for Senator Bob Corker among likely Republican Primary voters, the speculation about potential opponents who may seek to exploit those vulnerabilities has […]
[…] latest comments critical of President Trump were reported by The Hill, The Tennessee Star released a poll that shows likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee are not pleased with his penchant for […]
He needs to get on board with Trump’s conservative agents or go home!
[…] is vulnerable, according to a new poll released by The Star and conducted by Triton Polling and Research. Only 41 percent of likely […]
[…] no gubernatorial candidate has more than 10 percent support and the race is wide open, Senator Bob Corker’s re-election bid is in trouble, Rep. Marsha Blackburn is statistically tied in a one-on-one matchup with Senator Corker in a […]
Corker is a Demonrat in Sheep’s clothing. A total sell out.
Most corrupt and shameless senator ever in the history
Worse than Al Gore, Jr. ?
According to some articles, Corker got rich trading on information gained in his position. The articles assert some shady links to Wells Fargo. I’m not a fan.
Corker votes poorly, neocon through and through.
He needs to be voted out! he does not work for the will of the people that voted him into office
CORKER = FRAUD
twitter #FANNIEGATE
He already has Ethical issues shorting housing market with Pointer Hedge fund. Jerome Corsi has reported on it well!
[…] control” were very poorly received by likely Tennessee Republican primary voters, as The Star reported earlier […]
Bob Corker spells disappointment for me.
If people understood what the “Foreign Relations Committee” represented, they would have voted him out long ago.
It’s just another branch of this “One World Government”, and Corker is the “Chairman”.
You don’t get to be Chairman unless you’re willing to “play ball” with them.
Senator Corker communicates well and has an engaging personality. But his “reaching across the aisle” behavior is quickly approaching that of Senator Alexander….. and that does not bode well for Tennessee nor America. His quest for acceptance, popularity and power among his D.C. brethren has proven fatal. I am past being ready for a change.