Vanderbilt poll: 80% of Tennesseans support abortion under some conditions
Around 80% of Tennesseans believe abortion should be either completely legal or legal under some conditions, such as in cases of rape and incest and when the health of the mother is at stake, according to a new Vanderbilt University poll.
The poll found 48% of Tennesseans identified as pro-choice, while 50% identified as pro-life.
The abortion issue was at the forefront of politics this month after Politico published a draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito.
If adopted by the court, the opinion would overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that found abortion rights are constitutionally protected.
Among several questions, Vanderbilt's poll also included surveys about Gov. Bill Lee's approval, criminal justice reform and whether Tennesseans want former President Donald Trump to run again in 2024.
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“There’s a general dissatisfaction with the direction of the country right now, and we pick that up in a lot of different ways —whether it be in the national poll or in how people are viewing local leaders,” John Geer, co-director of the Vanderbilt poll and a political science professor, said in a statement. “One of the themes our latest poll shows is that here in Tennessee, there is a declining appetite to have a replay of the 2020 presidential election in 2024.”
Lee's approval remains unchanged
Lee maintains a 56% approval rating in the state, mirroring similar results by a Vanderbilt poll conducted in December. The governor holds an 80% approval rating within the Republican Party as embarks on his reelection effort this year, but only 7% of Democrats support him.
Lee's rating remains positive despite only 27% of Tennesseans believing the U.S economy is in good shape.
When it comes to criminal justice reform, Lee appears to be taking the public's side in his latest fight with lawmakers.
Lee declined to sign bills that would require some incarcerated individuals to serve 100% of their prison sentences and a law that makes it a felony to camp on all public property unless otherwise stated.
Vanderbilt's poll found 72% of those surveyed support the use of taxpayer dollars for rehabilitation programs such as mental health care or addiction treatment for people convicted of crimes. By party, 84% of Democrats and 58% of Republicans support this type of spending.
Over the last decade, Tennesseans have also flipped their view of the death penalty. In 2011, 55% of those surveyed supported the death penalty over life in prison for convicted murderers.
In contrast, the latest poll shows that 53% of Tennesseans support life in prison sentences over the death penalty.
Do Tennessee Republicans want Trump to run in 2024
Around 38% of Tennesseans want Trump to run for president in 2024, a 6 percentage point drop from the December poll.
Among Republicans, 68% support the former president running again, an 11-point drop over the last six months. Trump won Tennessee during the 2020 Presidential election with around 61% of the vote.
The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters in Tennessee from April 26 to May 14. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
Adam Friedman is The Tennessean’s state government and politics reporter. Reach him by email at afriedman@tennessean.com.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Poll: 80% of Tennessee support abortion under some conditions
