Takeaways from the Beacon Poll

66%
In a GOP primary for governor, Senator Marsha Blackburn has a commanding lead over Representative John Rose, leading by 52 points (66%- 14%).
Elections
70%
Seventy percent of voters want property taxes limited or outright banned, while only 21% believe property taxes should remain unchanged. A majority of Democrats (64%) believe property taxes should be limited or banned.
Taxes
39%
A large majority of Tennesseans (+39%) approve of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding Tennessee’s ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender minors. Both Republicans (+80%) and Independents (+20%) back the ruling, while Democrats (-31%) oppose it.
Healthcare
45%
Forty-five percent of Tennessee voters believe tariffs are essentially taxes that increase the cost of goods, while 44% believe tariffs are a necessary tool to protect American products.
Taxes
56%
A majority of voters (56%) want the cap on Education Freedom Scholarships lifted, while 30% prefer keeping the limit. Currently, 20,000 students can participate, but this year, over 40,000 students applied. Despite opposition from Democratic lawmakers, a majority of Democrats support expansion (+14%).
Education
44%
Memphis has been a lightning rod in the national media with sports analyst Stephen A. Smith saying NBA players do not want to move to Memphis due to safety concerns. A plurality (44%) of voters consider this assessment to be fair, while 26% believe it is unfair.
Public Safety

Policy Polling Results: Property Taxes

70% of Tennesseans believe property taxes should be limited or banned, while 21% believe they are necessary to fund local services.

TAXES

46% of Tennesseans believe that local government officials should set rates, but significant increases should require voter approval via referendum.

TAXES

After recent property tax increases in Nashville, Bartlett, and Kingsport, to name a few, 62% of Tennesseans believe these increases will hurt residents of those cities, while only 15% believe they will help.

TAXES

Policy Polling Results: Other Issues

56% of Tennesseans believe that the 20,000-student cap on the Education Freedom Scholarship program should be lifted so all eligible families who applied can participate, while only 30% oppose lifting the cap.

EDUCATION

Tennesseans are almost evenly split on tariffs, with 45% believing they are essentially taxes that increase the cost of goods for consumers and can worsen inflation, and 44% believing they are a necessary tool to protect American-made products, even if they temporarily raise costs.

TAXES

76% of Tennesseans oppose local governments using taxpayer money to hire contract lobbyists to lobby state and federal governments, while only 11% support the practice.

TAXES

News and Current Events Polling Results

In a gubernatorial election, 66% of Republican primary voters would vote for Sen. Marsha Blackburn. 14% would vote for Rep. John Rose.

ELECTIONS

Tennesseans are nearly split on their view of U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts, with 46% in opposition and 42% in support.

POLITICS

Culture Polling Results

The Tennessee state legislature’s approval rating is the highest it has been since we began polling in July 2023.

POLITICS

Culture Polling Results

What do Tennesseans usually call the bugs that light up at night during the summer?

Culture
Lightning Bugs
59%
Fireflies
18%
They are interchangeable
21%

Methodology

  • Online poll of 1,200 registered voters in Tennessee
  • Only respondents who passed our data quality checks were included in the final results and compensated for participating.
  • Sampling was stratified by demographics and geography.
  • Results were weighted by demographics, party, geography, and behavioral measures to properly reflect the profile of the state.
  • Estimated margin of error: +/- 2.77%
  • Fieldwork: July 27 through August 1, 2025
  • Due to weighting and rounding, percentages may not always total exactly 100%.

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