Topline Findings
Tennessee Republicans want a fighter—and Burchett has the clearest advantage
Fielded online August 23–25, 2026, this statewide survey includes 900 likely Republican general election voters drawn from Tennessee’s voter file. Strong approval for Trump anchors an electorate focused on economic concerns and skeptical of Washington leadership. Burchett leads a hypothetical Senate appointment field, and the candidate profile voters prefer emphasizes conservative conviction, candor, and independence.
Political climate
Trump anchors a supportive Tennessee Republican electorate
Trump receives 72.0% approval and Blackburn 62.1%. A 54.4% majority says the country is on the right track, and 56.2% says the same of Tennessee.
Approval and direction
Four distinct topline questions, shown with their reviewed positive and negative poles.
Crime and public safety posts a 58.8-point net approval margin, and deportation of criminal illegal immigrants posts a 50.3-point margin. Inflation and the cost of living produces the narrowest tested margin at 16.9 points.
Q14 / Trump issue handling
Please answer whether you approve or disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the following issues.
Senate field
Burchett owns the strongest position
Burchett is the only potential appointee with both broad recognition and a clearly positive image. His favorable rating is 45.7%, compared with 15.3% unfavorable, for a 30.4-point favorable margin. Glenn Jacobs has the second-highest favorable rating at 24.2%.
Q7 / Candidate favorability
For each name, please tell me whether you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion. If you have no opinion or have never heard of the person, just say so.
Burchett receives 31.6% in the initial full-field question, compared with 10.2% for Jacobs. Among the 47.0% who are initially unsure or decline to choose, Burchett’s support rises to 44.7% when those 423 voters are required to choose.
Q8–Q9 / Hypothetical U.S. Senate appointment
Candidate profile
The desired senator is conservative, candid, and independent of Washington leadership
Strong conservative values ranks first at 30.4%, followed by honesty and integrity at 25.9% and putting Tennessee’s interests first at 16.3%. Being a strong supporter of Trump ranks lower at 6.3%—a distinction between approval of Trump and the qualities voters prioritize in a senator.
Q11 / Most important candidate qualities
Which of the following qualities are most important to you when deciding which candidate to support for the U.S. Senate?
Nearly seven in ten prefer a conservative willing to challenge Washington insiders over one who works closely with Republican leadership. The preference for candor is stronger still: 78.8% choose someone who speaks plainly and asks tough questions.
Q12–Q13 / The style voters want
Economic agenda
Economic concerns set the agenda
The economy, taxes, and tariffs is the most important Senate issue for 36.2% of voters, more than twice the share naming socialism and anti-American propaganda at 16.2%. Government fraud and waste follows at 11.5%.
Q10 / Most important issue when choosing a senator
Which of the following issues is most important to you and your family when considering a candidate to support for United States Senate?
Voters broadly approve of Trump’s approach across all five tested issues. Inflation and the cost of living records the narrowest positive margin, at 16.9 points.
Bottom line
The topline case for Burchett is strong
Burchett’s political profile matches the kind of senator this electorate says it wants: strongly conservative, plain-spoken, and willing to challenge Washington and party leaders. Burchett earned this reputation over decades of public service—in the Tennessee General Assembly, then as Knox County Mayor—before bringing it to Washington, where he quickly established himself as an unflinching conservative voice against the political establishment.
The strongest topline conclusion is therefore that Burchett has the clearest advantage in a fluid field—and that the path to competing with him runs through the electorate’s demand for conservative conviction, integrity, and an outsider style.