The evolution of the Democratic Party’s ideology in recent years can be traced through various events, one of which occurred in 2016 when Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont surprised many by openly identifying as a democratic socialist. Since then, figures with similar beliefs have become more visible within the party. Even Democrats who may not fully embrace socialist ideas have become more vocal about their criticisms of certain aspects of America. A recent example of this trend is playing out in Tennessee’s upcoming special election, where the Democratic candidate has expressed disdain for the largest city in the district she seeks to represent.

Voters in Tennessee’s seventh congressional district are preparing for a special election on December 2 to select a successor to former Congressman Mark Green, a Republican who stepped down in July to pursue opportunities in the private sector. This election features a contest between Matt Van Epps, a former Republican state commissioner, and Democratic State Representative Aftyn Behn. Despite the district’s Republican leanings, Democrats are optimistic about their chances of flipping the seat, especially after former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned for Behn. However, current polling suggests Van Epps holds a lead over Behn, with a 52-44 percent advantage.

READ MORE: Democrats Doubling Down on Socialism — Now Hakeem Jeffries Gets a Primary Challenge

Aftyn Behn’s campaign has garnered attention for its unusual messaging. Nashville, a city synonymous with country music and iconic venues like the Grand Ole Opry, lies at the heart of the district she hopes to represent. However, Behn has stirred controversy by expressing her dislike for all things Nashville is known for, including its rich musical heritage. Her remarks have sparked surprise and debate among voters.

Wait, what?

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 20, 2025

Voters in Tennessee’s seventh congressional district will go to the polls in just a few weeks, on December 2, to elect a replacement for outgoing Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), who retired from Congress in July to go into the private sector. The general election will pit former Republican state commissioner Matt Van Epps against Democratic State Rep. Aftyn Behn. The seat has Democrats licking their chops, believing they can flip it, so much so that former Vice President Kamala Harris came in to stump for Behn. However, the district is pretty solidly red, and currently, Van Epps leads Behn 52-44 percent. 

READ MORE: Democrats Doubling Down on Socialism — Now Hakeem Jeffries Gets a Primary Challenge

But Aftyn Behn has a pretty curious campaign message. Sitting in the heart of the very district she wants to represent is the great city of Nashville. What is the first thing that you think of when you think of Nashville? Country music, of course. Places like the Grand Ole Opry immediately come to mind, and the traditions and values that you hear in country music. But Aftyn Behn says she “hates” all of that. She recently made these comments:

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. 

Wait what? 

This isn’t the first time that Aftyn Behn has made herself internet famous. Back in May, she recorded herself and a friend “stalking the Tennessee Highway Patrol.” Behn and her friend made it abundantly clear their mission was to impede law enforcement from doing their job, specifically when it came to illegal immigrants. In addition to hating everything that makes Nashville the great city that it is, Behn also hates sororities, which have a long tradition in the South. Behn had this to say about those sororities: “I lived in the sorority house. I mean, what a staple of white supremacy are southern sororities.” But her “I hate everything about the people I want to represent” criticisms would not be complete without calling her potential constituents “racists.” In 2019, she said that “racism is in the air we breathe, permeating the State Capitol.”

Aftyn Behn is Tennessee’s Zohran blonde-dani. https://t.co/wnS6fvowDL

— Congressman Andy Ogles (@AndyOgles) November 18, 2025

Granted, Nashville is a lot like other cities in that it is a blue dot in a very red state. But can someone like Aftyn Behn really get elected? Are there enough people in the seventh district who hate it as much as she does? Nashville, Tennessee, may be blue, but it isn’t New York City. Aftyn Behn may not call herself a democratic socialist, but there are plenty more out there like her who fall in the same vein as Bernie Sanders, AOC, or Zohran Mamdani. As the old saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. The election of Mamdani has seemed to pull the door wide open for Democrats who no longer have to hide their disdain for the average Americans they want to represent. 

Former Congressman Green won the district by 22 points in a presidential election year. But the presence of an independent candidate could narrow the gap between Behn and Van Epps. The question for the people of Tennessee’s seventh district may be a simple one: Are you really going to elect someone who openly hates you and the things you believe in?

Aftyn Behn praised Mamdani and said she was running on the same agenda. She’d be even more radical than him if she made it to Congress. Tennessee won’t go the way of New York — we’ll reject Aftyn and her Mamdani agenda on December 2nd.#MattforTN #TN07 pic.twitter.com/FxA4Mp8fi5

— Matt Van Epps for Congress (@MattForTN) November 5, 2025

The Democrat Party has never been less popular as voters reject its globalist agenda.