The race for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District has turned into a test of character and priorities, with Democrat Aftyn Behn under fire for past anti-police statements and refusing to clarify her position on defunding law enforcement while under national media scrutiny ahead of the Dec. 2 special election.
Voters in this conservative district are watching closely as Democrats pour money into a seat that went to Republican Rep. Mark Green. Behn is the Democratic nominee and faces Republican Matt Van Epps, who currently holds the lead in a district that traditionally leans red. With turnout likely to determine the outcome, outside groups have already injected significant resources into the contest, including a major House Democrat PAC spending $1 million.
Behn’s campaign has been dogged by earlier comments, including tweets she later deleted that attacked Nashville and openly criticized police. Those remarks became a campaign liability, and she was pressed on them when she appeared on MS NOW, previously known as MSNBC. The interview host Catherine Rampell confronted Behn directly about those past posts and whether she still stood by them.
On live television, Rampell recited the tweets and asked for clarification. The anchor said, “In 2020, you made some tweets that have since been deleted that were very critical of police. You said in those since-deleted tweets that the Metropolitan Nashville police department should be ‘dissolved.’ Another cheered on a teachers union saying that ‘defund the police should be a requirement for schools reopening’, and another saying, ‘Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.’”
Those are startling statements to hear from anyone seeking elected office, especially in a district that values public safety and law and order. The line claiming a majority justify burning down a police station is particularly damning and incompatible with mainstream views on policing and community safety. Republican voters and independents who prioritize public safety see that language as disqualifying.
Rather than take responsibility or explain how her views evolved, Behn declined to engage. She told the host she did not want to “engage in cable news talking points” and repeatedly refused to say whether she still supported defunding the police. Rampell pressed repeatedly, asking plainly, “So you don’t want to clarify whether you still believe that the police should be defunded?”
Behn’s evasions continued when she claimed not to remember the tweets, even as the anchor focused on current positions rather than a memory test. Rampell made the simple request: “What is your position today?” Instead of answering, Behn said, “I’m here to talk about my race,” and declined to clarify after multiple prompts. That response gave voters no substance on a central public safety issue.
Dodging a straightforward question about policing signals either a refusal to be accountable or an unwillingness to reassure voters about basic safety priorities. In a campaign, saying “I’m here to talk about my race” without addressing core policy concerns rings hollow. When a candidate will not state where she stands on police funding and public safety, voters must infer what that silence means.
This episode also reflects the broader direction of the party backing Behn. Her support from national Democrat groups indicates an embrace of increasingly extreme positions that many Tennesseans find out of step with their values. If national operatives are willing to bankroll candidates who refuse to address basic questions about law enforcement, that should matter to voters deciding who represents them in Washington.
The stakes are real: the Dec. 2 special election will decide who represents a district that expects its member of Congress to defend law and order and protect families. Republicans argue that electing someone who dodges questions about policing is incompatible with representing a community that relies on local officers to keep neighborhoods safe. Tennessee voters will soon have the chance to weigh those arguments at the ballot box.
Accountability in public office starts with answering tough questions, not deflecting them when cameras roll. Behn’s refusal to clarify whether she supports defunding police departments left a vacuum that her opponent and concerned voters are eager to fill with clear positions on safety, support for law enforcement, and common-sense governance. The campaign now hinges on who can convince the electorate they will put public safety first and be honest about their views.
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