D.D. 01/27/05

Former Congressman Ed Bryant has announced to the Chattanooga Times Free Press that he is leading the 2006 US Senate race according to a benchmark poll he conducted. The poll by Eldridge & Associates showed Bryant with a double digit lead (28%) over both Former GOP Chair Beth Harwell (11%) and Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker (12%). In a two-way race between Corker and Bryant, Bryant leads 32-15. The poll sampled 650 likely Republicans and had a margin-of-error of ±4 points. Corker called the results questionable, and one of his supporters claimed the poll contained push questions, but Harwell said she wasn't surprised with the results considering Bryant's 2002 run in the Republican primary against Lamar Alexander.