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Music City Miracle: A look at an unusually contentious election in the Volunteer State
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We’ll know Wednesday morning if a special election in Tennessee is truly a referendum on country music, pedal taverns and bachelorettes.
Or, if we can divine a deeper political meaning from the results of the special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.
Democrat Aftyn Behn is trying to tip the scales in favor of her party in a district which President Trump carried by about 20 points and former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., won by a similar percentage last fall.
Behn faces GOPer Matt Van Epps. It’s a Republican district. But political observers are watching the race to gauge potential weakness by President Trump, a softness in the Trump coalition, issues with the Republican brand or early indications of a possible blue wave in the 2026 midterms.
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Depending on who you ask, the race for Tennessee’s 7th congressional district – between Republican nominee Matt Van Epps, former state Department of General Services, and Aftyn Behn, a Democratic state representative – may be headed for a photo finish. (George Walker IV/AP Photo)
It was Behn who proclaimed that she abhorred Nashville several years ago. «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,’» complained Behn.
About all Behn left out in her animus toward Music City was dissing The Grand Ole Opry, hot chicken and Goo Goo Clusters. But if voters go goo goo over Behn Tuesday, Republicans face a cluster of another sort. A Behn victory may signal major problems for Republicans and President Trump heading into the midterms.
Behn is characterized as the «AOC of Tennessee,» a reference to progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Republicans have been sure to boomerang that against Behn, suggesting she’s not in tune with the district, leans too far to the left and is closer to the liberal values of New York or Los Angeles than Nashville. Republicans believe Behn is just a bad fit for Nashville. Kind of like having Bad Bunny perform at the Ryman Auditorium.
«It shouldn’t even be close. But it is,» mused Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., on Fox.
So Republicans are pouring in money to protect the seat. Democrats are pouring in money to steal the seat. If Democrats pull off the upset, the party should uproot the goalposts at FirstBank Stadium in downtown Nashville and dump it in the Cumberland River. Kind of what Vanderbilt fans did last year when the Commodores upset number one-ranked Alabama.
Let’s explore what a Behn win might mean for Republicans. It could indicate that voters are tiring of President Trump. Or that the GOP brand is toxic. Or perhaps it’s the continuation of a trend which Democrats enjoyed this fall: near blowout wins by New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill and Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger.
But there’s a downside for Democrats. Yes. They may flip the seat. But a win may also show that the party is tilting more to the left. It would be hard to argue with success if Behn prevails, regardless of her progressive streak. But this may give other liberals ideas that they can win in other red or purple districts. That may work against Democrats – especially since every Republican, except President Trump – has highlighted the left-wing politics of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
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Democrats probably need to run more centrist candidates in purple areas to regain control of the House. A Behn victory could open the floodgates for a host of progressive candidates in competitive House districts nationwide. Behn’s message – or that of Ocasio-Cortez or Mamdani – won’t work in most places where Democrats need to be successful to seize control of the House.
But what if Republicans hold the seat and Van Epps wins?
It probably depends by how much.
Yes, there were five special elections in 2017 – the first year President Trump was originally in office – which Democrats made competitive. All were closer than they should have been. But Democrats didn’t win any of them. Still, astute political observers suggested there was unpopularity with the president and the GOP agenda. Democrats won 41 seats and gained control of the House in the 2018 midterms.
So, even if Van Epps wins, examine the margin. And if Behn wins, see if Republicans downplay it because it was a special election and the customary electorate just doesn’t turn out for special elections. Especially one wedged between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If Republicans hold the seat, the GOP will argue this was a repudiation of a leftist like Behn and someone who was out of step. They will also suggest that it’s a GOP seat and Republicans should win anyway. That’s what happened earlier this year when there was consternation before two Florida special elections. But Reps. Randy Fine, R-Fla., and Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., both won in March.
If Van Epps wins, one must still pay attention to the margin. The seat, last held by former Rep. Mark Green, broke for President Trump by over 20% in 2024. (Nicole Hester/The Tennessean/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Here’s another factor which bears watching: the message the press corps and political observers glean from the election results. After all, special elections are always special. It’s natural for analysts and journalists to search for particular meanings or signposts in these contests. Such was the case with the off-year elections in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. Sometimes these observations are spot-on. Other times, they mean nothing. If anything, there is a tendency to over-illuminate the outcomes of these contests. They are moments in time. Kind of like listening to a few bars of a song. Maybe it tells you a lot about the song. Maybe not.
House Republicans could well freak out if Behn is victorious. There’s lots of grumbling among Republicans. Some are frustrated by how their leadership handled the government shutdown. And others could follow Mark Green and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and hit the exits early.
This is a fragile time for House Republicans. That’s one reason why a flip of this seat could mean a little bit more.
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Still, it’s rare to flip seats in House special elections. Former Rep. Don Cazayoux, D-La., won a special election in a red district in Louisiana in 2008 after former Rep. Richard Baker, R-La., resigned. But current Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., then won that seat in the general election and served in the House before moving to the Senate.
Former Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas, flipped the seat held by former Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, in 2022. But she lost reelection that fall.
Former Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., won a special election in 2020 after former Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., resigned just months into office. Garcia held the seat until Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif., defeated him a year ago.
Former Rep. Charles Djou, R-Hawaii, won a special election in Hawaii in 2010 against two Democrats – former Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii, and Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii. But Democrats got the seat back in 2012.
Former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, won a special election in 2022 to flip Alaska’s at-large district from red to blue following the death of late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska. Young held the seat for nearly 50 years. But Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, defeated Peltola last year.
Just because seats are won in special election upsets, doesn’t mean they’ve permanently fallen to the other party. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, who unseated his Democratic predecessor, former Rep. Mary Peltola – herself a special election victor – is a prime example. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In short, even if someone flips a seat, it’s rare that they have the seat for long. Often, only through the next regular election.
So a word of caution as you evaluate the election results on Tuesday night. If Republicans hold the seat, that may be expected. If Democrats flip the seat, some will proclaim it’s the second coming of the Music City Miracle.
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But frankly, it’s probably not.
congress,elections,tennessee,nashville
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Dem fundraising giant ActBlue rocked by allegations it misled Congress about foreign donations
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ActBlue, a central piece of the Democratic Party’s fundraising infrastructure, potentially misled Congress when it said it was adequately vetting incoming donations, according to a new report released this week.
The head of ActBlue, a major nonprofit fundraising platform that helps steer donations to left-wing candidates and causes, wrote in 2023 to Congress — in response to concerns about the platform’s ability to vet foreign donors — that it was taking all the necessary steps to ensure it was following the rules to ensure money from foreign sources were not making it through, according to a Thursday report from The New York Times.
However, behind the scenes, ActBlue’s attorneys at Covington & Burling were expressing grave concerns that ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones’ claims in her letter to Congress were misleading and could open up the platform to significant legal risk, the report said.
ActBlue was already facing scrutiny from Trump, with him calling on the Justice Department last year to investigate the group over concerns the platform was allowing straw and foreign donations, which are barred by federal election laws. The fundraising platform has also been targeted by several congressional probes led by Republican House Committees.
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Employees work at ActBlue in Somerville, Mass. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The concern from ActBlue’s legal counsel was found by the Times after reviewing memos between ActBlue and its legal counsel, resignation letters, and other communications. The Times also held interviews with ActBlue employees on the basis of anonymity.
The memos reportedly communicated that claims to Congress by Wallace-Jones, indicating that ActBlue had a multi-layered vetting framework and processed contributions with foreign mailing addresses only if the donor supplied a U.S. passport number, were not fully accurate. Wallace-Jones also reportedly wrote in her letter that ActBlue’s framework would contact donors to request their U.S. passport information in order to process donations and would return any money when they could not reach the donor. However, this was also reportedly not happening on a consistent basis, according to The Times’ reporting.
«It can be alleged that ActBlue accepted and/or facilitated the acceptance of foreign-national contributions into American elections,» one memo reportedly stated. «In addition, because ActBlue’s staff was aware that its system was not as robust as necessary, it could be alleged that these violations were ‘knowing and willful,’ a standard that both increases the penalties the F.E.C. might seek and gives the Justice Department jurisdiction for a potential criminal investigation.»
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«An aggressive prosecutor may view the November 2023 letter not just as a false statement but as an effort to conceal the foreign contributions,» ActBlue’s legal counsel wrote, The Times reported.
Supporters hold up signs at a campaign rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in Madison, Wis., on July 1, 2015. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The concerns about Wallace-Jones’ statements to Congress and what to do subsequently resulted in behind-the-scenes chaos at the political fundraising nonprofit, including a slew of departures at ActBlue that were reported publicly by The Times. Additionally, the relationship between ActBlue and its legal firm, Covington & Burling, which is known for representing some of the most high-profile political clients in the United States, was ultimately severed amid disagreements over whether Wallace-Jones’ claims in 2023 were the fault of the legal counsel,or ActBlue, according to the Times’ reporting on Thursday.
«We have complete confidence in the legal advice our lawyers provided to ActBlue,» a Covington spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
ActBlue did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment in time for publication.
In May, ActBlue put out a press release informing people about «what’s really happening and what you need to know,» pertaining to the investigation into ActBlue’s vetting mechanisms. The press release called it a «myth» that the platform allows foreign nationals to illegally contribute donations.
An Election Countdown Calendar hangs at ActBlue in Somerville, Massachusetts. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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«While ActBlue has always had strong measures in place that have successfully prevented illegal foreign donations, beginning in 2025 we have gone even further,» the press release states. «We now require that Americans living abroad be physically present in the United States to make a contribution on our platform, despite campaign finance laws allowing citizens to contribute to campaigns while living abroad.»
Trump called on the DOJ early in his term to return a report within 180 days to him about the status of its findings into ActBlue. However, according to The Times, that report has never been made public. The outlet added that three investigations by GOP-led House committees remain ongoing.
fund raising, democratic party, banking finance, elections, democrats elections, politics
INTERNACIONAL
El régimen iraní aumentó sus ataques contra Israel y bombardeó zonas residenciales del centro del país
Una persona resultó herida en el centro de Israel tras el impacto de un misil balístico iraní equipado con munición de racimo, según informaron medios locales en la madrugada de este sábado.
El servicio de emergencia Magen David Adom (MDA) reportó que un hombre de 79 años sufrió heridas al ser alcanzado por fragmentos impulsados por la onda expansiva del misil en Kiryat Ata, cerca de Haifa.
Las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel (IDF) identificaron el ataque y emitieron una alerta instando a la población a ingresar a espacios protegidos, mientras los sistemas de defensa trabajaban para interceptar la amenaza.
El Canal 12 de Israel informó que se recibieron llamadas de emergencia desde 17 puntos afectados por los impactos. Entre las ciudades con reportes de daños figuran Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Givatayim, Givat Shmuel, Petah Tikva y Rosh HaAyin.
Según el portal Ynet, el misil fragmentado impactó en seis ciudades diferentes y provocó un incendio en un edificio y un apagón en algunas zonas de la ciudad en Rosh HaAyin, daños en un edificio de Petah Tikva y destrozos en Tel Aviv.
Durante el viernes, las FDI llevaron a cabo más de 70 ataques en el oeste y centro de Irán contra emplazamientos de lanzamiento de misiles balísticos y vehículos aéreos no tripulados.
El Ejército israelí lanzó este sábado una serie de bombardeos contra posiciones de Hezbollah en Beirut, la capital de Líbano, en respuesta al lanzamiento de cohetes contra el norte de Israel desde territorio libanés.
“Las Fuerzas Armadas comenzaron a atacar infraestructura de Hezbollah en Beirut”, informó el Ejército israelí en redes sociales durante la madrugada, después de registrar varios ataques en el norte de Israel atribuidos al grupo terrorista.
Este último ataque del régimen iraní se desarrolla en medio de la búsqueda de un soldado estadounidense tras recientes intercepciones de Irán a dos aeronaves militares norteamericanas. Dos aeronaves militares de Estados Unidos fueron derribadas en incidentes separados el viernes durante operaciones de combate contra el régimen iraní, lo que desencadenó una operación de búsqueda y rescate que continúa para localizar a un miembro de la tripulación desaparecido.
Un caza F-15E fue alcanzado por fuego enemigo y se estrelló en territorio iraní; uno de sus dos tripulantes fue rescatado, aunque su estado de salud no detalló. El A-10, también impactado, logró llegar hasta el espacio aéreo de Kuwait antes de que el piloto se eyectara; posteriormente fue rescatado.
Durante la operación de búsqueda y rescate, dos helicópteros estadounidenses también fueron alcanzados por fuego iraní, resultando heridos algunos tripulantes, aunque ambas aeronaves lograron regresar a su base.
Por su parte, el primer ministro israelí, Benjamín Netanyahu, afirmó que la Fuerza Aérea de Israel destruyó el 70% de la capacidad de producción de acero de Irán. En un mensaje, Netanyahu explicó que esta ofensiva priva a la Guardia Revolucionaria iraní de recursos financieros y limita su capacidad para fabricar armamento, en el marco de una operación conjunta con Estados Unidos.
El mandatario indicó que las acciones recientes incluyeron bombardeos contra puentes y otras infraestructuras estratégicas en Irán, y subrayó que todas las operaciones se realizaron “en plena coordinación” con el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump. Netanyahu aseguró que las ofensivas continuarán hasta debilitar aún más al régimen iraní.
“Este régimen está más débil que nunca; Israel está más fuerte que nunca”, declaró tras una reunión de evaluación militar en la base principal de la unidad de Inteligencia del Ejército en Tel Aviv.
El acero es considerado un material estratégico para la industria y el sector militar, esencial en la producción de misiles, drones y embarcaciones. Tras los ataques, las dos mayores plantas siderúrgicas iraníes —Khuzestán y Mobarakeh— quedaron fuera de servicio. Las empresas advirtieron que su reconstrucción podría requerir meses.
La destrucción del 70% de la capacidad siderúrgica iraní representa un golpe relevante para la industria militar y la economía del país. El Gobierno israelí sostiene que la campaña conjunta busca frenar el flujo de recursos hacia la producción de armas por parte de la Guardia Revolucionaria. En respuesta, la Guardia Revolucionaria lanzó misiles y drones contra zonas industriales de la región e Israel, y adviritó sobre nuevas represalias si continúan los ataques.
(Con información de EFE)
War,Middle East,Military Conflicts
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FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan pair of top-ranking senators want to know why sanctioned Russian officials were in Washington, D.C., and given access to the Capitol and meetings with administration officials as wars in Iran and Ukraine rage on.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, raised counterintelligence concerns over the recent visit of a delegation of Russian Duma members, all of whom are sanctioned for «conduct deemed to be harmful to U.S. national security.»
«The delegation came onto U.S. soil for one purpose: to advance the Kremlin’s strategic aims — including gathering additional useful intelligence,» the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
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Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Jeanne Shahenn, D-N.H., raised counterintelligence concerns with the recent visit of a delegation of Russian officials to Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images; Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)
«They did not come to engage in dialogue or pursue democratic aims,» they continued.
The lawmakers argued that Duma members «include Kremlin subordinates who have committed numerous cyber and ransomware attacks on Americans and have facilitated war crimes against Ukrainian civilians.»
«Remarkably, they are now helping Iran target U.S. military and diplomatic personnel across the Middle East,» Wicker and Shaheen wrote.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Moscow-appointed head of Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, Yevgeny Balitsky, during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Nov. 18, 2024. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin via AP)
Several members of the Russian Duma visited Washington, D.C., late last month on a trip organized by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. She was joined by Reps. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, for a meeting with the delegation.
Luna later gave them a tour of the Capitol after posing for photos outside the United States Institute of Peace.
«As representatives of the world’s two greatest nuclear superpowers, we owe our citizens open dialogue, the exchange of ideas, and open lines of communication,» Luna said on X following the meeting. «We will continue to foster this dialogue and push for peace in support of this [administration’s] efforts, as well as economic opportunity.»
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Wicker and Shaheen noted that the Duma members were «far from innocent participants in a cultural exchange.»
«It included Vyacheslav Nikonov, who in 2023 referred to the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as the ‘Fourth Reich’ on Russian television. Mikhail Delyagin has advocated for destroying Ukraine’s energy sector. Boris Chernyshov once claimed that Russian retaliatory strikes were ‘an expression of our hatred [of Ukraine],’» they wrote.
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Wicker and Shaheen demanded that Rubio and Bessent explain why sanctions were waived for the Russian officials’ visit, what meetings the delegation had with Trump administration officials, what counterintelligence assessments were conducted on the visiting Russians, and provide a complete manifest of who traveled from the Russian Federation.
The lawmakers wrote that the delegation’s visit came «at a time when Russia’s intentions are unambiguously clear.»
«Numerous public reports have cited Russian support for Iran’s military targeting of American service members in the Middle East,» they wrote. «European intelligence agencies have reported that Russia intends to attack NATO member states in the coming years. And [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has made it clear that peace in Ukraine is a mirage. His singular ambition for Ukraine is to erase its existence.»
politics, senate, russia, war with iran
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