State Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Monday formally declaring her candidacy for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.
An FEC Form 2 was filed Monday morning, officially registering Behn as a candidate for the congressional seat.
Behn is the first Democratic candidate seeking her party’s nomination for the seat, which is set to be filled in a special election yet to be called by Governor Bill Lee after U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) officially vacated the seat upon his retirement from Congress last week.
Elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in a special general election in 2023, Behn quickly aligned herself with the radical left wing of her party on issues including abortion, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and, most notably given recent events, immigration.
In May, Behn was accused of interfering with a joint operation between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) as she and another female individual followed law enforcement vehicles across Nashville and went as far as to pulling into a gas station as officers attempted to refuel, which prompted officers to initiate a traffic stop on the Democrat’s vehicle.
Behn livestreamed the event on Instagram, where the state lawmaker commented about delaying the officers’ enforcement efforts with unserious and unprofessional language.
The Democrat’s livestream caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the time.
“This Administration is not playing games with the lives and safety of our ICE officers. People doxxing our officers and impeding ICE operations are siding with vicious cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals,” DHS wrote in an X post replying to Behn’s livestream. “While sanctuary politicians are fighting for criminal illegal aliens, [President Donald Trump] and [DHS Secretary Kristi Noem] are fighting for the victims of illegal alien crime.”
Behn’s radical position on immigration is a complete 180-degree difference from Congressman Green, who chaired the House Homeland Security Committee.
The FEC form declaring Behn’s congressional candidacy was filed one day before she is set to speak at an event held by the leftist organization Indivisible Tennessee to protest President Trump’s signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Aftyn Behn” by Aftyn Behn.
The only good leftist is one who is no longer a CO2 footprint.
You don’t have convince me! That headline says it all. I can’t wait to vote for Aftyn and support her campaign!
One of those wonderful moderate mainstream Democrats who can win Republican districts.
(and if you don’t know that’s sarcasm…)