State Representative Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) on Wednesday falsely claimed that State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) has turned to “negative attacks” in the Republican primary campaign for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, as he appeared to conflate a recent political advertisement from a pro-school choice political action committee (PAC) with Taylor’s campaign.
While Warner claimed that “Taylor and his campaign” are behind “a series of negative attacks,” including “distortions, personal attacks, and outright lies,” The Tennessee Star understands his post on social media followed a political mailer sent by the American Federation for Children (AFC) Victory Fund, a political action committee (PAC) that supports candidates who vote in favor of school choice.
AFC Victory Fund is not affiliated with any political candidate. Though it does make endorsements, the PAC does not appear to have endorsed Taylor, or any of the other candidates running in Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District.
Additionally, the AFC Victory Fund ad includes a Quick Response (QR) code which takes recipients to a website using a domain structure that includes, “tennessee-hd-92,” Warner’s district in the State House, which suggests the PAC sent the mailer in reference to Warner’s campaign for reelection to the Tennessee General Assembly. Warner is concurrently pursuing a reelection campaign as well as the Republican Party’s nomination in the 9th Congressional District.
Further, while Warner asserted an ad resorted to “lies” about his record, the political advertisement by AFC Victory Fund appears to be based mostly on factual information.
For example, the ad declares Warner “voted against Trump when Trump called on Tennessee to pass his education bill.” While President Donald Trump did not author the legislation to create Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship program, the president did endorse the bill shortly after starting his second term in the White House.
Warner voted against the Trump-backed education bill. He also helped kill an earlier attempt by Governor Bill Lee to pass school choice legislation in 2024.
The political mailer also accuses Warner of being “funded by the same radical, liberal union that spent millions” to elect Democrats including former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Tennessee’s online campaign records confirm Warner has received at least $3,500 from the PAC associated with the Tennessee Education Association (TEA), the Volunteer State affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), since January 2023. During the 2024 campaign cycle, the NEA’s political arm spent about $30 million to elect Harris and other Democrats.
To support the group’s claim that Warner votes with liberals, the AFC Victory Fund website cites the General Assembly web page for legislation that would have made it a felony for school employees to possess or display obscene content in schools. While he eventually voted in favor of the State House’s final version of the bill, Warner earlier joined Democrats in a vote against ending debate and moving to a final vote. The legislation ultimately died in the State Senate.
Primary voters in Tennessee will choose their candidates on August 6. In addition to Warner and Taylor, Republicans in the redrawn 9th Congressional District will see Charlotte Bergmann and Jeremy Thompson on their ballot.
– – –
Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Todd Warner” by Todd Warner and image “Brent Taylor” is by Brent Taylor.
