Former Congressman Ed Bryant, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, won a straw poll conducted Thursday evening by the Williamson County Republican Party at their President's Day Dinner.
Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker was second in the poll.
Each of the Senate candidates, seeking to replace the retiring Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, spoke.
Mr. Bryant said, "While straw polls don?t win elections, they are a good indication of the early momentum being generated by our campaign to earn the Republican nomination for the United States Senate.
"I'm enormously grateful for this victory that was only made possible by our hard working volunteers in Williamson County who are steadfast in their commitment to elect a proven conservative leader to the United States Senate."
The official results of the Williamson County GOP Straw Poll:
Ed Bryant 73 votes 36%
Bob Corker 51 votes 25%
Van Hilleary 48 votes 24%
Beth Harwell 31 votes 15%
The Bryant campaign said, "Bryant's double-digit lead in the straw poll over Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker reflects the double-digit lead Bryant held over Corker in a recent statewide survey. The poll, conducted by Etheridge & Associates of 646 likely Republican primary voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent, showed Bryant with a 19 percentage point lead over Corker in a two-way race and an 18 percentage point lead over Corker in a three-way race."