Evangelical leader Franklin Graham expressed shock on Monday at the “profoundly incorrect” comments made by atheist Democratic candidate Gayle Jordan, who faces the GOP’s Shane Reeves in the State Senate 14th District special election happening today.
“USA TODAY has a story about an atheist running for public office in Tennessee—the election is tomorrow,” the Christian leader wrote on Facebook Monday afternoon, adding:
I was shocked by her profoundly incorrect comment about it – she said, “It’s incidental to who I am.” I’m afraid the opposite couldn’t be more true. There’s nothing more significant to who we are. There’s nothing more important than faith in God and trusting in His Son Jesus Christ. Atheism and secularism may be trendy and “progressive,” but denying God is devastating for a life or for a nation. God’s Word tells us that one day “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).
Republican Shane Reeves and Democrat Gayle Jordan are battling it out at the polls today as voters in the 14th State Senate District decide who will represent them in the Tennessee General Assembly.
Reeves, a first-time candidate, won the Republican primary in January against former State Rep. Joe Carr (R-Lascassas). Democrat Jordan, a very far left candidate in a traditionally conservative district, ran unopposed in her party’s primary.
Earlier this year political watchers were stunned at the outcome of the special election in December between conservative Mark Pody and liberal Mary Ann Carfi, when low voter turnout nearly handed the seat to the Democrat, Carfi. The nail-biting margin was a scant 300 votes.
Democrats are hoping that low voter turnout, combined with a perceived momentum of 39 local elections they’ve taken from Republicans in the past year, may build toward a so-called “Blue Wave” liberal pundits are hoping for with this Fall’s midterm elections.
Early voting, which ended on Thursday, was low, totaling 7,637, but not nearly as low as the 5,200 early votes cast in Pody’s close call in December.
Polls close at 7 p.m., and The Tennessee Star will report on them as they come in.
