Takeaways from the Beacon Poll

58%
In the Republican primary for governor, Senator Marsha Blackburn maintains a strong lead over the field with 58% of the vote, with Congressman John Rose coming in second at 9% and State Representative Monty Fritts coming in third at 5%. Twenty-eight percent of Republican voters remain undecided.
Elections
57%
Most Tennesseans (57%) support changing certificate of need laws, which would allow new hospitals or clinics to open in certain areas without government permission, while only 12% oppose it. A majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all support reforming these laws.
Healthcare
76%
Almost everyone enjoys watching football, as 76% of Tennessee voters report watching it at least occasionally. The majority of Tennesseans (52%) would prefer to watch a game at home. Fourteen percent of Tennesseans prefer to attend football games at the actual stadium, and 10% would rather watch a game at a bar or restaurant with their friends.
Culture
55%
Tennessee voters are overwhelmingly against partisan gerrymandering, with more than twice as many voters (55%) opposing the practice as supporting it (27%).
Politics
23%
A somewhat substantial majority of Democrats (+23%) in Tennessee have a positive opinion of socialism. While socialism is substantially underwater overall (-24%) due to Republicans (-49%) and Independents (-25%), the overall favorability among Democrats is notable.
Politics
52%
Most voters (52%) believe there is not enough religion in public schools, while 18% believe there is too much religion, and another 21% believe there is just enough. Most Tennesseans (72%) also believe that prayer or Bible readings should be part of classroom activities at least sometimes, while 24% believe schools should not include religious activities.
Education

Policy Polling Results: National Issues

55% of Tennesseans oppose gerrymandering, or states changing congressional district boundaries to benefit their state’s dominant political party, and 27% are in support.

POLITICS

63% of Tennesseans approve of President Trump’s decision to send the National Guard to Memphis, while one-third of voters disapprove.

PUBLIC SAFETY

54% of self-identified Democratic voters in Tennessee have a favorable view of socialism, while 31% view socialism unfavorably.

POLITICS

Cultural Polling Results

90% of Tennesseans think political violence is a problem in the United States today, while only 9% disagree.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Tennesseans are evenly split on how safe they feel sharing their political views in public, with 39% saying they feel safe, and another 39% saying they feel unsafe.

POLITICS

52% of Tennesseans believe there is not enough religion in public schools, while 18% believe there is too much, and 21% believe there is about the right amount.

EDUCATION

Policy Polling Results: Tennessee Issues

56% of Tennesseans support the arrangement that Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has with Nashville to build the Music City Loop, while 29% oppose it.

CULTURE

In Tennessee, healthcare providers need government permission to open new hospitals or clinics and add certain services in many areas—57% support reforming or changing this requirement.

HEALTHCARE

59% of Tennesseans oppose allowing driverless vehicles to operate in Nashville through the Waymo–Lyft partnership, while only 30% support allowing these vehicles to operate.

TRANSPORTATION

Political Polling Results

If the 2026 Republican primary for Tennessee governor were held today, Senator Marsha Blackburn leads both declared opponents in the race with 58% support among self-identified Republican voters.

ELECTIONS

Governor Bill Lee’s approval rating is holding strong going into his final year in office, with 54% approving of the job he’s doing as governor, while 38% disapprove.

POLITICS

Policy Polling Results: Business

A majority of Tennesseans (54%) have a favorable opinion of big business, while 39% an unfavorable view.

ECONOMY

70% of Tennesseans support consolidating business filings into a single “one-stop shop” system for new and existing businesses in the state.

ECONOMY

71% of voters support allowing Tennessee businesses to fully deduct the cost of capital expenses—such as equipment and machinery—from their state taxes in the first year, similar to federal tax rules.

ECONOMY

Culture Polling Results

Where do Tennesseans prefer to watch the big game each week?

NOVEMBER 2025 POLL
76%
of Tennessee voters report watching football at least occasionally.
Culture

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: October 26 through October 29, 2025
  • Due to weighting and rounding, percentages may not always total exactly 100%.

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