House Democratic Candidate Faces Scrutiny Over Past Calls to Abolish Police Before Special Election

Tennessee House Candidate Under Scrutiny for Past Anti-Police Comments

Democratic congressional hopeful Aftyn Behn faces growing criticism over her previous statements supporting the “defund the police” movement, as revealed by recently uncovered social media posts and interviews from before her tenure as a Tennessee state legislator.

Behn, who is running against Republican Matt Van Epps in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special election scheduled for December 2, has a documented history of advocating for police department funding cuts and even police abolition during 2020 and 2021, at the height of nationwide protests following George Floyd’s death.

In one deleted social media post, Behn questioned a Nashville City Council member about a budget proposal that would cut $2.6 million from the Nashville Police Department, asking, “Where’s the proposal that dissolves @MNPDNashville?” In a separate interview with a local Nashville advocacy group, she stated, “If it’s been difficult for all of you to imagine a world without police … we can do it and there is a world.”

Prior to her election to the Tennessee state legislature in 2023, Behn worked as a regional organizing director for Indivisible, a progressive activist organization that itself called defunding police departments “critical” for public safety. The group actively encouraged supporters to pressure lawmakers at all levels to redirect police funding toward Black communities.

During a podcast episode titled “Black Lives Matter,” Behn defended the looting and rioting that occurred during the protests following Floyd’s death, challenging white listeners who criticized the destruction. “It is not for us to decide as privileged white people how marginalized communities express their suffering and their pain and their grieving,” she said, calling criticism of looting “a trope” for white people.

In another deleted social media post, Behn appeared to celebrate polling showing public support for property destruction, writing: “Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.” This referenced the burning of a Minneapolis police precinct during the 2020 protests.

The emergence of these comments comes at a critical time for Behn’s campaign in a traditionally Republican district that Donald Trump won by over 20 points. Republican strategist Matt Gorman commented on the revelations, saying, “Looks like Aftyn is getting a visit from the Ghost of Wokeness Past. Democrats over and over have been haunted by their past positions they thought they could hide from.”

Democratic strategist Eric Koch countered that these attacks indicate “Republicans are getting worried” about a potentially competitive race in a historically safe district. He suggested that Democrats making inroads in such territory bodes well for their chances to reclaim the House majority in next year’s elections.

The “defund the police” movement has become increasingly problematic for Democratic candidates in recent election cycles. New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani recently appeared on Fox News to apologize for his past anti-police rhetoric, while a progressive U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan reportedly deleted old social media posts supporting police defunding.

Behn’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment on her past statements. She has also faced criticism this week for other controversial comments, including statements on her podcast where she expressed disdain for Nashville and its cultural touchstones, including country music.

The special election in Tennessee’s 7th District will test whether voters in this traditionally conservative area respond to Republican attempts to highlight Behn’s past positions, or whether Democrats can make unexpected gains in Trump country ahead of next year’s crucial midterm elections.