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Democratic Strategist Calls 'AOC of Tennessee' 'Not a Serious' Candidate, Warns Party Is Losing Control

11:41 PM, 12/01/2025
Democratic Strategist Calls 'AOC of Tennessee' 'Not a Serious' Candidate, Warns Party Is Losing Control

Julian Epstein, a Democratic strategist, called state Representative Aftyn Behn "not a very serious candidate," arguing she represents an "extreme" wing of the party for supporting measures like defunding the police and for comments criticizing Nashville. Epstein said Behn's rise highlights two party weaknesses: a weakening nomination infrastructure and a failure to reach disaffected young voters. Behn is the Democratic nominee for Tennessee's 7th District, running against Republican Matt Van Epps for the seat vacated by Rep. Mark Green. Her campaign says opponents are using attacks to distract from issues like rising costs and health-care concerns.

Democratic strategist Julian Epstein criticized state Representative Aftyn Behn on Sunday, calling the progressive candidate vying to replace Rep. Mark Green "not a very serious candidate" and describing her as part of an "extreme" wing of the party.

In a broadcast interview, Epstein said Behn has embraced far-left positions — including support for defunding the police — and pointed to a resurfaced 2020 podcast in which she said she "hates" Nashville, a city located within Tennessee's 7th Congressional District.

"She's certainly an extreme candidate. She said she hates Nashville... She's for defunding the police, a whole host of very far-left sort of Democratic socialist ideas," Epstein said.

Epstein framed Behn's emergence as symptomatic of two broader failures within the Democratic Party. First, he said the party's state and donor infrastructure that once steered nominations toward more centrist, electable candidates has weakened. "That infrastructure has just collapsed," he argued.

Second, Epstein said Democratic leaders have struggled to present ideas that resonate with "increasingly disaffected youth," which he believes has allowed sensational online messages to gain traction among younger and frustrated voters.

Behn, a former health-care community organizer and current state representative, is the Democratic nominee for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District and is challenging Republican Matt Van Epps for the open seat vacated by Rep. Mark Green after his resignation in June.

The Republican National Committee amplified the podcast clip in attacks on Behn. Kate Briefs, Behn's campaign manager, countered that Republicans are "panicking" and attempting to distract voters from issues such as rising costs and threats to health care. Briefs said Behn's platform focuses on lowering costs for Tennessee families, including eliminating the state's grocery tax to make essentials more affordable.

The contest in TN-7 is being framed by both sides as a test of the Democratic Party's ideological direction and its ability to field candidates seen as both authentic and electable.

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