A new Mason-Dixon poll shows Republican gubernatorial candidate and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam with an 11-percentage point lead over his closest competitor nearly 10 days away from the Aug. 5 primary.


“The only poll that matters is the one less than two weeks away on Aug. 5,” Haslam said. “Crissy and I have been working 18 months to get right where we are, and we’re going to continue working hard and taking our message of making Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for jobs directly to Tennessee voters.”

Conducted from July 19-21, the poll also indicates Haslam would be the strongest Republican candidate -- over Rep. Zach Wamp and Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey -- for governor primary voters could select to run in the general election.

Early voting for the Aug. 5 Rutherford County general election and state and federal party primaries continues through next week, ending Saturday, July 31. Early voting can be done at six different locations.

Rutherford County Election Commission Office on the Courthouse Square will open early at 7 a.m. and close late at 7 p.m. Monday-Friday for voter convenience.

The following sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday:
• La Vergne Civic Auditorium
• Tennessee Rehab Center
• Murfreesboro SportsCom
• Election Commission Operations Center on Vine Street
• Blackman Elementary School.

All Early Voting Sites will be open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 31.