A new Wall Street Journal/Zogby poll has Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ed Bryant as the leading candidate.
It shows Bryant leading Ford Jr. by a 7.5 point margin. The poll has Bryant at 49.4% and Ford at 42.4%.
The poll has former Congressman Van Hilleary beating Ford 47.2% to 44.2%.
It puts former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker running behind Ford in a hypothetical match-up.
The poll's margin of error was ±3.6%.
Bryant said, "Recently, I was attacked by the head of the Tennessee Democrat Party, because they know what this poll confirms – that I am the strongest Republican to defeat Harold Ford Jr.
"As Cyndi and I travel across the state, our campaign is uniting both social and economic conservatives who want a real conservative they know and trust to represent them in the Senate. Our support in this poll has actually grown and is solid, and no amount of television ads are going to dissuade my supporters from voting for a Republican who is a real conservative."
The poll says, "Several candidates are vying to succeed Sen. Bill Frist, the current Senate majority leader who is vacating his seat next year to explore a potential 2008 presidential bid, and the Democrats are hoping to capitalize in this toss-up state.
"Former GOP Reps. Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary are in strong position against two Democratic challengers, with the stronger of these being Rep. Harold Ford Jr., one of the more moderate-to-conservative Democrats in the House.
"A third Republican, Bob Corker, polls behind Ford in a potential matchup but has consistently come in behind Bryant and Hilleary in county straw polls, indicating he's less likely to win a primary nod."
The Corker campaign, which is tops among the candidates in fundraising, is reportedly about to unleash a media blitz across the state with a number of major ad buys.