Big-Name Dems Make Final Pitch For Aftyn Behn, Hope For Tuesday ‘Miracle’ In Tennessee

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Prominent Democrats from across the country were campaigning for Tennessee Democrat Aftyn Behn on Monday night as the party hopes to pull of a “miracle” in Tuesday’s special election.

Behn, running against Republican Matt Van Epps for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional district seat, was joined on a Zoom call by some of the Left’s biggest names, including former vice president Al Gore, and far-left congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal. The virtual rally was the final event of Behn’s special election campaign and was attended by around 1,200 people, many of whom appeared to be hopping on Zoom from out of state based on their comments in the video call’s chat.

Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged that it would take a “miracle” for Democrats to turn the Tennessee district blue, but added that Behn’s position in the race has shown that “miracles still happen.” The democratic socialist from New York urged Democrats in Tennessee to remain hopeful that politicians like Behn can successfully push leftist policies in deep red states as the Democratic Party looks ahead to the pivotal 2026 midterm elections.

Behn is hoping to win the deep red district despite pushing leftist policies in the past, including voicing support for abolishing police departments and saying that she was “fearful” for “trans communities” after a trans-identifying shooter killed three Christian schoolchildren and three staff members in Nashville.

Behn’s Republican opponent was rarely mentioned during the rally, as the Democratic speakers focused much of their attention on attacking President Donald Trump and his administration. Democrats are positioning the Tennessee special election as a referendum on Trump’s agenda, as the party is optimistic that Behn is within striking distance in a district that went for Trump by 22 points in 2024.

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The virtual rally got off to a bumpy start when Gore was introduced by Behn’s campaign manager, with the former vice president nowhere to be seen. After a few quiet and awkward moments, Gore’s face appeared on screen and he was introduced for a second time. Gore kicked off the rally by doubling down on that focus and painting the Trump White House as one of the most evil and corrupt administration’s in U.S. history.

Earlier on Monday, big name Republicans also gathered in the district to push Van Epps as the GOP and Trump emphasize the importance of the special election. At the Van Epps rally, Republicans were confident that they would win on Tuesday, but also acknowledged that the margins could be closer than what Republicans have come to expect in the district, The Daily Wire reported.

Republicans and Democrats have poured millions of dollars into the special House race, with Behn’s campaign raising over $1 million between October 1 and November 12, according to campaign finance records. In that same timeframe, Van Epps raised $591,000, but the Republican candidate is also getting a big boost from Trump-aligned outside groups that have spent over a million dollars on advertisements.

Over 84,000 voters cast their ballots during the early voting period, which lasted from November 12-26, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State. A large chunk of Republicans and Democrats are still expected to head to the polls on Tuesday morning. Polling results from Emerson College and The Hill released on Monday showed Van Epps with just a 2-point edge on Behn.



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