TN-Gov: Both Rep. Diane Black and businessman Randy Boyd recently began running ads focused on attacking businessman Bill Lee, and a new poll from the Louisiana-based GOP firm JMC Analytics gives Lee his first-ever lead in the Aug. 2 GOP primary. The survey, which JMC says was done independently of any client, gives Lee a small 27-23 lead over Boyd, while Black is just behind at 21. State House Speaker Beth Harwell, whom all the candidates seem to be ignoring, takes 18, which is also her best-ever showing in any released poll.
Two polls from late June each showed Lee in third place, though they disagreed by how much. The Arizona-based GOP firm Data Orbital had Black leading Boyd 24-23, while Lee was just behind at 19 and Harwell took 10. However, the GOP firm Triton Polling & Research gave Boyd a 33-27 edge over Black, while Lee and Harwell take 20 and 7 percent, respectively.
Lee himself is hoping to take advantage of his opponents' attacks by portraying himself as above the fray. His newest TV spot features the candidate telling the audience that "I've got three politicians running attack ads against me right now, and I wanted to tell you why: we're winning, and they're scared."
Lee then tries to address his opponents attacks without repeating them, beginning by saying the truth is that he "fully supported" Trump, and even went to his inauguration. Lee adds, "Of course I oppose amnesty and sanctuary cities," and says that 99 percent of his political contributions went to Republicans.
Black's new spot also tries to contrast her against Lee and Boyd. The narrator declares she's the one candidate that helped write Trump's tax bill, and it once again features footage of Trump saying she came through for him and shaking her hand. The narrator then describes Black as the one candidate who voted for Trump's border wall, and it shows footage of Trump calling her up at a conference.
The second half of the spot features pictures of Lee and Boyd as the narrator says the "the others are good men, but they're moderates," adding they're "the kind of Republicans who help Democrats get elected." As usual, the commercial ignores Harwell.