Tennesseans appear poised for a historic gubernatorial election while grappling with the opportunities and uncertainties posed by artificial intelligence.¶
A statewide Beacon Poll of likely Tennessee voters from August found that Senator Marsha Blackburn leads Democrat Jerri Green in the gubernatorial race, 55 percent to 34 percent among likely voters.¶
Blackburn Holds Early Edge in Governor’s Race
According to the poll, Blackburn, the Republican nominee, holds a 21-point advantage just two months before the election, following a competitive Republican primary in which she defeated challenges from Rep. John Rose, R-District 6, and Monty Fritts, positioning her as the clear favorite.¶
Blackburn’s lead also mirrors broader Republican strength in statewide elections despite a decline in President Donald Trump’s statewide approval rating to a historic low of 48 percent overall, with GOP voters decreasing from 86 percent to 79 percent from May to August.¶
Promise and Risk in AI
The poll also asked voters about AI, finding that a majority are comfortable with public access to AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot, with 54 percent of respondents approving and 34 percent disapproving.¶
At the same time, voters expressed caution about AI’s broader impact. A 53 percent majority believe AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates over the next decade, while only 7 percent expect it to create more jobs than it replaces. Another 19 percent said the positive and negative effects would likely balance out.¶
However, fear of job displacement was lower: 33 percent of employed respondents said they worry that AI could eliminate their jobs within the next five years, and 65 percent said they were not concerned.¶
Opinions varied depending on how the technology would be used, with 55 percent of voters in the healthcare field saying AI should be permitted with clear limits and human oversight, while 29 percent said the risks are too high. Among K-12 education employees, however, skepticism was stronger: 42 percent opposed classroom use of AI, while 40 percent supported it under teacher supervision and defined safeguards.¶
