Candidate’s Nashville HATE Bombs Backfire

Close-up of a keyboard with a red key labeled Hate

A Democratic candidate’s resurfaced podcast comments trashing Nashville, country music, and the city’s culture have turned a reliably Republican Tennessee district into a dead heat just days before the special election.

Story Snapshot

Aftyn Behn, the Democratic nominee for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, faces backlash after a 2020 podcast clip resurfaced in which she declared, “I hate this city, I hate country music” and criticized the very things that define Nashville
The race against Republican Matt Van Epps is neck-and-neck despite the district’s strong Republican lean, with Trump winning the area by 22 points in 2024
Republicans are weaponizing Behn’s comments to question her fitness to represent a district centered on Nashville, while Democrats dismiss the controversy as a distraction from policy issues
The special election on December 2, 2025, has national implications for House control, with Democrats investing over $1 million in a bid to flip the seat

A Candidate’s Past Words Haunt Her Present

In February 2020, Aftyn Behn, then a state representative and healthcare community organizer, recorded a podcast episode on the Tennessee Holler Podcast Network’s “Grits” show. During the segment, she expressed visceral contempt for Nashville’s defining characteristics. “I hate this city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music. I hate all the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country,” she stated bluntly. The remarks remained relatively obscure until November 2025, when Republican groups and media outlets circulated the clip widely, transforming a five-year-old personal opinion into a campaign-defining controversy.

Why This Matters for Conservative Voters

For conservative voters in Tennessee’s 7th District, Behn’s comments represent more than a gaffe—they signal a fundamental disconnect from the values and culture that define their communities. Nashville’s country music heritage and tourism industry are pillars of regional identity and economic vitality. A candidate representing the district who publicly despises these cornerstones raises legitimate questions about her commitment to the constituents she seeks to serve. The controversy underscores a broader pattern: progressive politicians often dismiss or denigrate the traditions and lifestyles of working Americans, viewing them through a lens of urban superiority rather than respect for diverse American cultures.

Behn’s attempt to walk back her comments by claiming she has emotional connections to Nashville—including tears shed in the Country Music Hall of Fame—rings hollow to many voters. The damage reflects a credibility crisis: when a candidate’s recorded words contradict their current messaging, voters reasonably question whether the candidate is being authentic or simply calculating. This authenticity gap has become a recurring vulnerability for progressive candidates in Republican-leaning districts, where cultural disconnect often proves more damaging than policy disagreements.

The Competitive Race That Shouldn’t Be Close

Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District has been a Republican stronghold, with President Trump capturing the area by 22 points in 2024. Yet recent polling shows Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn running neck-and-neck with Republican Matt Van Epps, a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services. This unexpected competitiveness reflects national Democratic investment—over $1 million poured into the race—and the party’s aggressive strategy to exploit any vulnerability in Republican-held seats. The race carries significant implications for House control, making it a bellwether for broader political dynamics heading into 2026.

Van Epps and Republican groups, including the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc., have seized on Behn’s podcast comments as evidence of her unsuitability for office. The Republican National Committee argues that her statements demonstrate she does not represent the district’s values. Meanwhile, Democrats and Behn herself contend that the controversy is a distraction from substantive policy issues, attempting to reframe the narrative around healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. However, the persistence of the controversy in polling and campaign messaging suggests that voters view character and authenticity as substantive issues in their own right.

Digital Footprints and Modern Campaign Warfare

Behn’s experience illustrates how social media and digital archives have transformed political campaigns. A podcast episode recorded in a casual setting five years ago now defines her candidacy in a competitive race. This dynamic has profound implications for future candidates across both parties: every statement, joke, or passing comment made in digital formats risks becoming ammunition in a future campaign. For conservative voters, this reality underscores the importance of scrutinizing candidates’ complete records and past statements, not just their current messaging. The incident demonstrates that political authenticity—consistency between past and present—matters enormously to voters evaluating trustworthiness.

The special election on December 2, 2025, will reveal whether Tennessee voters prioritize party affiliation or candidate character. For conservatives, the race represents an opportunity to defend Republican control of a district that should be safely red. Behn’s contempt for Nashville’s culture, captured in her own words, provides compelling evidence that she is out of step with the communities she seeks to represent. The outcome will signal whether voters in Republican-leaning districts remain persuaded by progressive policies despite cultural disconnection, or whether authenticity and shared values continue to drive electoral decisions.