(Adnkronos) – Today, Tennessee votes in special elections in a district, a Republican stronghold where a year ago Donald Trump won by 22 points, but which today Democrats dare to dream of conquering. The latest polls show Democrat Aftyn Behn just two points behind Republican candidate Matt Van Epps, an unthinkable situation just a year ago when Republican Mark Green won the seat by 20 points, which he then relinquished last July.
The Democratic candidate based her entire campaign on the message of affordability, that is, the policy to lower the cost of living which was central to Democratic victories in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia earlier this month. “I think voters are looking around and seeing that their lives haven’t improved, they’re saying ‘we’ve had enough, we’re fed up’,” Behn told CNN in recent days.
So much so that Republican Van Epps also focused his campaign on the same issues, promising that he “will work with President Trump to lower the cost of living for hard-working Tennessee families.”
For Trump and the Republicans, today’s elections cannot be lost, both for their political value, with less than a year until the midterm elections, and because Behn’s potential victory would further narrow the already slim Republican majority, 219 to 213, in the House. “The whole world is looking at Tennessee right now, and they’re looking at your district,” said Trump, who connected yesterday to a rally for Van Epps by calling Speaker Mike Johnson, who flew to Tennessee for the final stretch of the election campaign.
And a few hours earlier, an even more heartfelt appeal had arrived on Truth, seasoned with a full-frontal attack against the Democratic candidate, accused even of “openly despising country music,” an unforgivable sin in the electoral district that includes Nashville, the world capital of this musical genre.
“I ask all America First patriots who have not yet voted to go vote on December 2 for a phenomenal candidate, Matt Van Epps,” Trump wrote on Truth. “Matt is fighting against a woman who hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants open borders, transgender for all, men in women’s sports, and openly despises country music,” the president continued, claiming that Behn had said “precisely all these things, without a doubt, it’s on record.”
