When running for public office, it’s crucial to avoid expressing any sentiments that could be interpreted as disdain for the community, city, or state you aim to represent.

Despite this common wisdom, Aftyn Behn, a prominent Democrat in Tennessee’s state legislature known for her progressive views, has found herself in a precarious position. With less than two weeks before the special election for the 7th Congressional District, Behn is facing scrutiny for past remarks.

The Democrat nominee’s controversial comments from a 2020 podcast have resurfaced, drawing attention. During the podcast, Behn expressed strong dislike for Nashville, saying, “I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it city’ to the rest of the country.” These statements have been compounded by her past actions, including attempts to obstruct immigration enforcement and a 2019 op-ed where she criticized the state’s residents as racists while working as a community organizer.

Behn, who is the Democrat nominee in the race, is under the microscope this week after comments she made during a 2020 podcast about hating Nashville resurfaced, as we reported.

“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it city’ to the rest of the country,” Behn said at the time. She’s also tried to impede immigration enforcement operations in her state, and wrote an op-ed in 2019, when she was a community organizer, referring to the state’s residents as racists.