FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee congressional seat that President Donald Trump and Republicans have beforehand received with ease grew to become the unlikely epicenter of the struggle for Congress on Monday, as Home Speaker Mike Johnson headlined rallies and former Vice President Al Gore and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez instructed Democrats they may very well be on the verge of a monumental upset.
Trump even referred to as in twice through the day to inform voters to again Matt Van Epps, the Republican candidate, in Tuesday’s particular election.
“The whole world is watching Tennessee right now, and they’re watching your district,” the president mentioned after Johnson put him on speakerphone throughout an occasion inside a storage stocked with classic automobiles on a supporters’ sprawling farm in Franklin. “It’s a big vote and it’s gonna show something. And it’s gonna show that the Republican Party is stronger than it’s ever been.”
Just a few hours later, Trump drove house the message in a digital rally, the second he’s held for Van Epps because the former Military helicopter pilot and state basic companies commissioner grew to become the Republican nominee.
The push of consideration on the reliably conservative seventh U.S. Home Congressional District got here as Trump hopes to rebound from latest Republican losses across the nation. Democrats need a robust exhibiting that would propel them in subsequent 12 months’s midterm elections that may decide management of Congress.
Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D), a self-proclaimed “pissed-off social worker” and progressive neighborhood organizer from Nashville, sprinted by her remaining marketing campaign stops, together with the digital rally with Gore, a Tennessee native, and Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
Gore mentioned persons are battling excessive prices for groceries and well being care whereas Trump is working “by far, the most corrupt administration in history,” enabled in Congress by “way too many subservient cowards.”
“Having had the privilege of representing Tennessee in years past, I want to tell you that I have never seen the political tides shift as far and as fast as we’re seeing them move in this election,” Gore mentioned.
Ocasio-Cortez mentioned the aggressive race reveals that “anything can happen and that miracles can happen, including in Tennessee” with exhausting work.
Behn has been described by some state Democrats as “our very own AOC of TN,” a nickname that Republicans have harnessed to deride Behn as too far left for the district.
“They’re bringing in all their heavy hitters because they think they can flip this seat from red to blue,” Johnson instructed reporters. “That is not going to happen.” Johnson is attempting to keep up a slim majority within the Home, and he mentioned the race is for “all the marbles.”
Republicans have expressed considerations about turnout as a result of early voting went into Thanksgiving week and Election Day follows the vacation weekend. Van Epps was supported by a phalanx of celebration leaders on Monday, together with nationwide chairman Joe Gruters, Gov. Invoice Lee, and Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Invoice Hagerty.
“I think that Matt’s going to be OK,” Hagerty mentioned. “But it’s not just winning. It’s winning by a wide enough margin to send a real Tennessee message that we’re not going to stand for this.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris appeared in Nashville to rally voters final month whereas on a e book tour, and nationwide celebration chair Ken Martin visited as properly.
The seventh District is one in every of three seats redrawn in 2022 to erode the affect of Nashville, the state’s largest metropolis and a Democratic stronghold. Solely about 1 in 5 of the 14-county district’s registered voters are in Nashville. Final 12 months, the district went to former GOP Rep. Mark Inexperienced by 21 proportion factors and to Trump by the same margin.
Behn has condemned Trump’s tariffs and tax lower laws, each of which Van Epps helps.
Republicans have tried to show Behn’s personal phrases towards her in tv promoting, comparable to when she described herself as a “radical” or claimed to be “bullying” immigration brokers and state cops. A frequent goal are feedback Behn made about Nashville years in the past, when she mentioned “I hate this city” and complained about annoyances like bachelorette events.
For essentially the most half, Behn has answered questions on these remarks by redirecting to cost-of-living points. However she has responded particularly about Nashville, saying she desires it “to be a place where working people can thrive” even when she will get aggravated at some vacationer attracts.
“The barrage of negative attacks is a result of the fact that they don’t have a plan to address the rising cost of health care,” Behn mentioned at a marketing campaign occasion Monday.
Jalen Smalls, a Behn voter, mentioned his major concern is getting folks’s primary wants met, comparable to funding for faculties, feeding kids, supporting hospitals and sustaining roads.
“Those are the bare minimum of what people need in order to thrive, not just survive,” Smalls mentioned.
John Rowenczak, in the meantime, mentioned he’s voting for Van Epps as a result of he’s involved that the nation is turning into too liberal. He mentioned his major concern is illegitimate immigration.
“I feel like Trump is doing a good job, and that’s kind of the way we need to go,” he mentioned. “We want to continue the Trump agenda in this district.”
The Home Majority PAC has put $1 million behind Behn. Van Epps has been backed by greater than $1 million from the Trump-supporting MAGA Inc. tremendous PAC.
Democratic Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries predicted an unexpectedly shut race.
“Republicans have already lost,” Jeffries mentioned Monday. “The fact that they are spending millions of dollars to hold a seat that Donald Trump just won by 22 points is extraordinary.”
Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Related Press author Leah Askarinam contributed from Washington.
