> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://pamphleteer.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # BEACON POLL SHOWS STRONG SUPPORT FOR ESAs - URL: https://pamphleteer.co/post/beacon-poll-shows-strong-support-for-esas/ - Published: 2024-01-05T18:20:09.000Z - Updated: 2026-05-17T10:55:09.000Z - Author: Megan Lee Podsiedlik - Tags: #hidden, Politics, #Import 2026-08-01 20:40 The numbers are in for the Beacon Center’s third quarterly poll, giving some insight into a number of topics important to Tennesseans days before the 113th General Assembly and a presidential election year. A pool of 1,302 registered voters were asked a series of questions about education and the upcoming presidential race, among other things. The full [poll results](https://www.beacontn.org/january-beacon-poll/?ref=pamphleteer.co) are available on Beacon’s website, but here are the key takeaways. #### NUMBERS SHOW SCHOOL CHOICE HAS SUPPORT In contrast to the [heavy](https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2023/11/29/tennessee-school-choice-nashville-school-board-chair-condemns-expansion/71728049007/?ref=pamphleteer.co) [skepticism](https://www.newschannel5.com/news/conservative-education-revolution-tennessee-leaders-emphasize-statewide-school-vouchers?ref=pamphleteer.co) [expressed](https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2023/12/04/tennessee-governor-statewide-school-choice-plan-republican-no-full-support/71744312007/?ref=pamphleteer.co) by recent headlines, Beacon’s sample shows significant support for Governor Lee’s proposal to expand the Education Savings Account program statewide. A staggering **68 percent** of participants are in favor of the policy proposal, while only **19 percent** oppose the idea outright. Similarly, **over half** of 1,005 likely voters say they’re more likely to vote for a legislator who supports the ESA expansion, while **12 percent** said they’d be less likely to vote them in. Governor Lee announced his plan to allow “*every* Tennessee parent with the opportunity to choose the right education for their child” on November 28th of last year. His [Education Freedom Scholarship Act](https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2023/11/28/gov--lee--legislative-leadership-call-for-statewide-school-choice--unveil-education-freedom-scholarship-act.html?ref=pamphleteer.co) earned full backing from the Speakers and Majority Leaders of both the House and the Senate. “You shouldn’t have to choose your child’s education based on your zip code and where you live,” stated [Arieale Munson](https://www.beacontn.org/arieale-munson-esa/?ref=pamphleteer.co), a mother of a Memphis student benefiting from school choice, in a [video released](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F61busV4HZE&ref=pamphleteer.co) by the governor’s office. “You should be able to have a choice whether you want to send your kids to a private school, a charter school, or a public school.” #### POLL FAVORS TRUMP, EVEN IF CONVICTED Of 993 likely voters, **63 percent** say they would vote for Donald Trump over Joe Biden. That lead narrows a bit (**51 percent** Trump, **25 percent** Biden) when Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is included on the ballot, with Kennedy earning **16 percent** of the vote. Furthermore, **63 percent** of 553 voters say they’d vote for Donald Trump even if he were convicted of the criminal charges he currently faces. In the unlikely event that Trump pulls out of the race, **46 percent** of 501 likely Republican voters support Ron DeSantis for president; **18 percent** would choose Vivek Ramaswamy, and **14 percent** would vote for Nikki Haley. Meanwhile, If Joe Biden decides not to run, **27 percent** of 324 likely Democratic voters would want Kamala Harris to succeed him as president. Interestingly, Bernie Sanders beat out Hilary Clinton for second place by one percentage point. #### GLORIA JOHNSON GETS A BOOST FROM DEMS That same pool of voters ranks US Senate candidate Gloria Johnson far ahead of her main primary opponent, Marquita Bradshaw, with the former garnering **41 percent** of the vote. This, even though a previous [Beacon poll](https://www.beacontn.org/october-beacon-poll/?ref=pamphleteer.co), published last October, showed Bradshaw as the more promising candidate in a general election against current Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn. In that poll, Bradshaw received **36 percent** support from a pool of 824 voters when pitted toe-to-toe with the incumbent, compared to **29 percent** of 850 votes backing Gloria Johnson in a race against Blackburn. In both October polls Marsha Blackburn came out the winner, receiving **just under half** of the votes. #### NATIONAL NEWS IS IN THE DOG HOUSE Some good news for us here at the *Pamphleteer*: of 1,302 likely voters, **66 percent** said they have some or a lot of faith in local media compared to **51 percent** in national coverage. Meanwhile, **22 percent** say they do not have *any* faith in national media, while only **9 percent** shared that sentiment for local.