Vanderbilt political scientists available to discuss Tennessee primaries happening Aug. 2

Vanderbilt political scientists and polling experts John Geer and Josh Clinton are available to discuss the Tennessee gubernatorial and Senate primaries happening tomorrow—by phone and on-air. As co-directors of the Vanderbilt Poll, Geer and Clinton are deeply familiar with the Tennessee electorate.

The most recent Vanderbilt Poll shows Tennessee remains a center-right state, as it has been for a long time; Geer says the selection of a Trump-aligned Republican candidate, such as Rep. Diane Black, could potentially pave a path forward for the moderate Democrat, former Nashville Gov. Karl Dean, who is very popular with independents. Independents make up about third of the state’s electorate.

However, the crowded field makes it entirely possible that one of the Republicans with less of a national profile will win the primary, and Geer and Clinton can help readers understand the implications for the state’s politics.

Though Blackburn and Bredesen are likely to win their primaries for Senate handily, Geer and Clinton can, of course, discuss those candidates as well.

BROADCAST NOTE: Vanderbilt has a campus broadcast facility for on-air interviews. VUStar is free to use, except for reserving fiber time: https://news.vanderbilt.edu/resources/vustar/