A poll commissioned for West Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford for the 2006 U.S. Senate race has Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker third on the Republican side.

It lists Ed Bryant with 35 percent, Van Hilleary 26 percent, and Mayor Corker 15 percent. The number undecided was 24 percent.

For the Democratic primary, the poll gives Ford 62 percent to 15 percent for Rosalind Kurita.

The poll said for a faceoff between Ford and Corker, it would be 39 percent for Ford and 34 percent for Corker with 27 percent undecided.

Bryant said he was "encouraged by the new poll showing us with a 9-point lead over our nearest competitor in the GOP primary." He said he still encourages "economic and social conservatives to keep joining our army of volunteers in an effort to help fortify the lead against the barrage of advertising millionaire Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker will be forced to unleash to hide his record of higher taxes and move himself up in the polls.

Bryant added, "This new poll indicates that economic and social conservatives are rallying around the strong, proven conservative who can win the general election and make sure Senator Frist's seat doesn't fall into Democrat hands. It's early and we're going to keep working hard to earn the support of as many economic and social conservatives as we can in an effort to turn back the barrage of advertising Mr. Corker will unleash to try and hide his record of higher taxes, and move himself up in the polls.

"For Corker, this marks the third consecutive poll in which his support among likely Republican voters lags far behind the other Republicans in the field. An Ethridge & Associates survey of 646 likely Republican voters, conducted and released by Bryant in January, showed Corker at 13%. While an Anderson Group poll in early February of 400 likely Republican voters, conducted and released by Hilleary, showed Corker at 8%.

"Corker's inability thus far to catch on with Republican voters may be attributed to the fact that, while he's claiming to be a "conservative" who's for "lower taxes," his record as Mayor proves he's:

"Raised property taxes and fees. (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 8/22/01, 9/12/02)

"Created a new hotel tax for the city of Chattanooga (on top of the existing Hamilton County tax). (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 2/27/02)

"Fought exemptions to Tennessee's sales, franchise and excise taxes and warned Tennesseans a state income tax could happen. (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 11/9/97)

The Global Strategy Group poll for likely U.S. Senate candidate Ford surveyed 600 likely voters, with a sub-sample of 190 Republicans, and each had a margin of error of +/- 6%.

The poll was conducted March 22-24.