Of the Tennesseans who responded to the latest Vanderbilt Poll, 75 percent believed abortions should be legal in cases of rape or incest. That includes 62 percent of Republicans, 78 percent of independents and 93 percent of Democrats.
More than 1,000 registered Tennessee voters responded to the poll, conducted between Nov. 8 and Nov. 28. It also included questions about the 2024 election, the economy, education and climate change. The numbers were broken down into those who identify as MAGA Republicans (those identifying with former President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again philosophy) and non-MAGA Republicans.
A bill introduced Thursday by Rep. Yusuf Hakeem (D-Chattanooga) could put the state residents' sentiment into action, providing exceptions in cases of rape or incest or if the abortion was necessary due to a medical emergency affecting the physical or mental health of the pregnant person. However, it also requires that the patient report the rape or incest to law enforcement prior to the procedure. Republican leaders who control the legislature have so far shown little appetite for making adjustments to the abortion restrictions put in place in recent years and that went into effect following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year overturning Roe v. Wade.
Tennessee’s abortion trigger law went into effect in August and does not have any exceptions, though it includes an affirmative defense for a medical professional who performs an abortion to save the life of the mother, meaning a doctor can argue in court that he or she had reason to perform the procedure, but only after charges are filed. Most respondents to the poll did not know this. When asked to identify the statement that is closest to the current law in Tennessee, only 19 percent were able to. Additionally, 36 percent said they did not know enough to say, and the remaining percentage chose incorrectly.
While most respondents favor exceptions for incest and rape, Tennesseans by and large do not support abortion after 15 weeks. Overall, 69 percent of respondents said that abortion should be illegal after 15 weeks, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. This includes 88 percent of Republicans, 47 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of independents. Previous Tennessee legislation set the line at six weeks, when some women don’t yet know they are pregnant.
Opinions toward abortion in Tennessee have softened over time, which poll authors attribute in part to Roe v. Wade’s reversal. From 2012 to 2022, the number of Tennesseans surveyed who described themselves pro-choice jumped from 22 percent to 37 percent, while the number of people who described themselves as pro-life dropped from 46 percent to 36 percent.
Regarding the 2024 elections, among the registered Republicans interviewed, DeSantis leads Trump 54 percent to 41 percent in a head-to-head match-up in the Republican Party primary.
Among all registered voters surveyed, 36 percent want Trump to run for president — an 8 percent decline from the number of the December 2021 Vanderbilt Poll. Only 22 percent think President Joe Biden should run for re-election.
