I’m Running for Congress Because We Need Leadership that Meets This Moment

The Big, Bullsh*t Bill changed everything. Now we organize like our lives depend on it — because they do.

In January 2018, on a cold, rainy morning — while most folks were still shaking off their New Year’s hangovers — I was standing outside the Houston County Community Hospital in Erin, Tennessee, rallying our neighbors to fight back against cuts to Medicaid that would gut rural hospitals and leave families stranded.

It’s 2025 now. Those cuts aren’t just threats anymore — they’re the law of the land, jammed through by Washington Republicans as they traded Trump-signed autographs for their constituents’ Medicare. The Big, Bullsh*t Bill also codified the greatest transfer of wealth in American history.

I’m so full of rage — like so many of you — because we know this isn’t just politics or talking points. Our neighbors will die because of these choices.

I’ve seen it as a social worker, sitting with families of kids with disabilities who can’t get the care they need — parents forced to take dead-end jobs just to scrape by, instead of being able to stay home and care for their own children. As a legislator, I’ve heard it firsthand, picking up the phone for my constituents who’ve been waiting years for their SSDI to come through, or who were kicked off TennCare with nowhere else to turn.

Our country is broken. Our systems are broken. And the billionaires and corrupt politicians who broke them are getting richer than ever, while pointing the finger at immigrants and trans kids to distract us from who’s really to blame.

These past few months, you’ve seen me stand up for our immigrant and LGBTQIA families when they were under attack. You’ve seen me call out the drunk-on-power Republican supermajority dragging our state backward and selling out our freedoms. I’ve taken the hits, gotten back up, and continue pushing forward.

Because I know — like so many of you do — that this moment we’re living through demands fearless, relentless leadership and a plan for how we organize through it.

So I’m stepping up. I’m running in this special election for Congress this Fall because this is the only chance this year to flip a Republican seat anywhere in the country. And if we do it right, the entire country will be fixated on Tennessee — and we can show them that there are smart, clear-eyed young leaders willing to risk it all to stand up for working people, keep our communities safe, and prove that even here, in a place that’s often written off, we can fight back and win.

Special elections are, well, special. It’s a moment in time that’s a snapshot of the political headwinds; however, we need excitement as excitement breeds momentum, and momentum breeds excitement. If we’re going to win, or come even close, we have to bring Tennessee into the national consciousness.

We need to make sure that everyone in this country knows that far-right billionaires didn’t pick Tennessee at random — they poured hundreds of millions into our state, hand-picked judges for the conservative Sixth Circuit, and are using us as ground zero to dismantle freedoms guaranteed by our federal Constitution. The fate of those in New York and Washington State is inextricably linked to Tennessee, as our fate could reach their front door.

And while I’m stepping up to fight this fight in Congress, I want my constituents in HD51 — in Donelson, Madison, East Nashville, Germantown — to know that I’m not leaving you behind.

You elected me because you know I’m a fighter — because you know I’m always scheming, organizing, and choosing my battles with strategic intentionality. You know I’m willing to sacrifice my peace to protect yours, because I carry your pain…

I’ve helped with loading the last box in your U-Haul as you as packed up your life and left this state because you no longer feel safe raising your kids here. I’ve held you as you sobbed, terrified of getting pregnant and starting a family in Tennessee. I’ve held back tears, listening to you describe how this government chose profit over your chance to live your final days with dignity, in your own home, surrounded by the people who love you.

Here’s my promise to my constituents: while I’m fighting for this seat, I’m still fighting for you. One. To my constituents, please do not donate to this Congressional campaign as you have given me so much in the past two years. We’re still running our Civilian Civic Corps and planning legislative events (including one in Madison this month). Two. We have a special e-mail and number you can call to ask questions, not only about this race, but to receive a little more TLC as I know we’re all going through it. Constituents can email us at hd51@aftynbehn.com and text or call (629) 276-4000.

I’m tearing up as I write this, because I love you all so deeply. I know exactly what it means — and what it might cost — to step into this race right now. If anything should happen, please know this: it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve this district and to organize alongside you in the place I call home. As musician — and HD51 neighbor — Mindy Smith sings, “You may not be what everybody needs, but Tennessee, you’ve been good to me.”

OK, back to kicking ass, taking names and building the Tennessee we deserve.

Love,

Aftyn